In defense of empathic informatics

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the potential effects of recent restrictions on discussions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the field of biomedical informatics.

Materials and methods: Executive orders issued by the U.S. federal government regarding diversity and gender issues are discussed in the context of implications for biomedical informatics research.

Results: Restrictions on specific terminology can hinder research into critical topics such as bias and fairness in clinical artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. Additionally, these limitations may narrow the scope of questions that informatics research can address and obstruct efforts to enhance the diversity of perspectives within the field.

Discussion: Responding to these threats requires a community response. The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) can help the informatics community present a united front in support of DEI research in multiple ways.

Conclusion: The informatics community should take a strong and unambiguous response to support diversity, equity, and inclusion of underrepresented perspectives in the field.

Keywords: diversity; equity; inclusion; informatics.