Hazel Downing presenting at the Transcultural Nursing Society Conference in Portland, Maine.
HPU Professor Hazel Downing recently presented in Portland, Maine, at the Transcultural Nursing Society Conference on the topic “Mitigating Cultural Bias in AI-Driven Healthcare Systems.” Downing shared that her goal was to increase awareness of bias in artificial intelligence and highlight the need for nursing education that prepares students to use AI tools in culturally responsive ways.
“This is extremely relevant to our student nurses at HPU,” Downing noted. “Nurses need to understand the potential biases in AI algorithms and critically evaluate AI-generated recommendations in the context of each patient’s circumstances and cultural factors.”
Mitigating cultural bias in AI-driven healthcare systems is an ongoing challenge that requires attention across the AI lifecycle, from data collection and model development to deployment and continuous monitoring. When AI models are trained primarily on data from a limited cultural population, they may perform less reliably for patients from different backgrounds, increasing the risk of inaccurate recommendations and inequitable care.
In her role at HPU, Downing helps prepare future nurses to engage thoughtfully with emerging healthcare technologies and advocate for patient-centered care.
“Ensuring that these AI technologies are used with a transcultural approach supports safer care for all,” Downing said.
For additional information on the conference, click here.
