Women’s History Month Host Prof Dr Victor Lawrence Inclusion: Maternal Mortality & Morbidity

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IEEE NJ Coast WIE, Computer Chapter, and PACE SIGHT Group Women's History Month Event:  

with Host Professor Dr Victor B Lawrence, IEEE Life Fellow.

IEEE Standards Topic: Inclusion: Maternal Mortality & Morbidity

Guest Panelists: Paula Muller, PhD, Baek-Young Choi, PhD, Mathini Sellathurai, PhD, Dr Haleema Yezdani MD, Fatimah Shehadeh-Grant, PhD, Dr Keith Thompson, MD, The Honorable Dr Duncan Rogers Lee, II (EdD, MBA, JD) Esq, Thomas M Willis, III PhD, Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan, Nicolai Solofnenko, Katherine Grace August, PhD

Recently we have seen many news and research articles indicating Maternal Mortality and Morbidity is on the rise. Of note, racial disparity is continually on the rise. There may be some interaction with biomedical devices, algorithms, processes, and more. For example, we have learned about racial bias of using Pulse Oximeter devices to care for people with dark skin and pre-existing conditions resulting in delay in diagnosis, delay in care, missed allocation of resources, staff and equipment, poor outcomes, and harm to people including but not limited to morbidity and mortality. This has become dramatic during COVID-19.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) Target 3.1 is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. While global numbers have been steadily dropping for example, from 157.1 per 100.000 in 2020 to 158.8 in 2021, they remain approximately twice the Target; at the same time, MMR in the United States continues to climb with dramatic disparity for black, minorities, underrepresented mothers and their infants. In the US, overall MMR between 2018 - 2020 rose from 17.4 to 23.8 maternal mortalities per 100.000 live births; for black mothers, MMR rose from 37.3 to 55.3; for white mothers, MMR rose from 14.9 to 19.1; and for Hispanic mothers, MMR rose from 11.8 to 18.2. Most common indicators after delivery discharge of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) include: blood transfusion, pulmonary edema, acute heart failure, sepsis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, air and thrombotic embolism, eclampsia, puerperal cerebrovascular disorders, acute renal failure. These conditions are managed with devices, algorithms, processes. Outcomes are impacted by access to healthcare which is multidimensional.

At this Event, Panelists bring together their observations and recommendations of the technical, regulatory and user community, research, literature, stakeholders, and healthcare to raise awareness, continually assess and address mechanisms of harm. Questions include: can Telehealth play a role in reducing healthcare access gaps and maternal mortality ratio?

This is but one of many examples of ongoing multidimensional and systemic gender and racial bias at all phases of the innovation and technology life cycle, human interface, and outcomes. In addition, people with certain preexisting health conditions are not candidates for certain devices such as the Pulse Oximeter. There are racial, gender, language, cultural bias, and access to communication and information complicating the use-inspired challenges. They impact social determinants of health and disparities. They must be addressed when gathering teams, engaging stakeholders, gathering user needs, designing systems, designing studies, DEI of participation, research, publications, algorithms, devices, methods, updating after-market findings and data, training, follow-up, use in health and well-being, literacy training, access to healthcare, and more.

Working with data from the past is not going to reduce racial bias, nor will it result in improved future algorithms, AI/ML, etc. Research and industry stakeholders should facilitate transparent design, improve communication and literacy of those who use devices, monitor and report how devices are used, and incorporate updated data, even small data, and experiences of users over time.

We connect this effort to Humanitarian Activities, DEI, sustainability, resilience, UN Sustainable Development Goals, Social Determinants of Health. All that and world class technology solutions, too.

Let's gather on the occasion of Women’s History Month (30 March 2023), to establish a plan to address our interest in reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity, impact of racial bias, and address how Pulse Oximetry devices and other health and wellness technologies, devices, AI/ML, algorithms, methods, etc. can be improved through transformative Standards and related activities.

This meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to plan a Webinar, white paper, and future actions to advance technology for humanity.

7pm Welcome

Introduction by Host: Professor Dr Victor B Lawrence, IEEE Life Fellow

Panel Presentations and Open Discussion

Questions and Recommendations

Propose Next Topic

Host Professor Dr Victor B Lawrence, IEEE Life Fellow on Inclusion: Maternal Mortality & Morbidity