Black man sues UNOS over kidney transplant algorithm racial bias
A Black patient accused the United Network for Organ Sharing and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of using an algorithm that unfairly made him and o ther Black patients on the kidney transplant list wait longer for organs. UNOS and other healthcare providers used a racially biased test that overestimated kidney function in Black patients, making them appear healthier than they actually were. This resulted in delayed diagnosis of organ failure, later evaluation for transplants, and reduced time on the kidney transplant waiting list for many Black patients. K idney disease sufferer Anthony Randall was forced to wait over five years for a kidney, which prevented him from working, according to court dockets. Randall asked a federal court to allow him to make the lawsuit a class action representing 27,500 Black patients he claimed the algorithm also disadvantaged healthwise and in terms of 'economic injuries' in the form of dialysis and other medical costs. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organisation that operates the US transplant system, and Cedars-Sinai dropped the use of the problematic part of the formula that Mr. Randall cited in his lawsuit. UNOS' board of directors found that including a 'modifier for patients identified as Black' had resulted in a widespread underestimation of the severity of kidney disease for many Black patients. However, Randall's complaint stated that his 'wait time continues to be incorrectly calculated in UNOS' UNet software.' System 🤖 UNOS UNet 🔗 Operator: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Developer: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Country: USA Sector: Health Purpose: Allocate organ tran splants Technology: Machine learning Issue: Accountability; Bias/discrimination - race, ethnicity Legal, regulatory 👩🏼⚖️ Anthony Randall v. United Network for Organ Sharing et al
- Date it happened
- 2023-04-01
- Organisation involved
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Product, system or model
- UNet
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