Have you ever wondered how technology is reshaping the future of healthcare? As an alumna of the University of Rochester, I recently attended an inspiring event that showcased groundbreaking innovations in digital health and the urgent need for inclusivity in AI. From a portable ultrasound device that makes healthcare accessible to all, to a virtual reality system easing children's anxiety in hospitals, the advancements are remarkable.
However, with these innovations comes a pressing challenge: ensuring that bias doesn’t seep into our digital tools.
I graduated with a PhD in toxicology and earned my master’s degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Even though I’m based in California, the university makes sure we West Coast alumni stay connected. They frequently organize events and bring speakers out to our area, and I think that’s because we’re one of the largest contingents of alumni outside of New York. Each time I attend a UR event, I meet some amazing people, and this last time was no exception.
The event I attended was called The Future of Healthcare: Embracing Digital Transformation, part of the university's Huang Speaker Series in Technology and Innovation. The featured speakers, Drs. Michael Hasselberg and David Mitton, gave a compelling presentation on their co-leadership of the University of Rochester Health Lab, a digital innovation incubator within the School of Medicine. The Health Lab focuses on solving real-world healthcare challenges in real-time, showcasing groundbreaking inventions and partnerships aimed at revolutionizing healthcare through digital technology.
One of the coolest innovations they discussed is a mobile ultrasound device called Butterfly. Imagine taking the typical bulky ultrasound machine and distilling it down to just the wand—this device can transmit its readings to designated medical files, making it incredibly portable. Whether you’re five minutes away from a doctor or 500 miles, this device makes healthcare much more accessible. They demonstrated its use for detecting carpal tunnel syndrome, but its potential applications are endless.
Another incredible innovation was a virtual reality (VR) system designed for kids in the hospital. Hospitals can be scary, especially for children who have to undergo frequent tests and procedures. The VR system creates an immersive, calming underwater scene with colorful fish, allowing kids to be distracted and relaxed while medical staff do their work. This reduces anxiety, which, in turn, minimizes the possibility of restraint or sedation—making the entire experience more pleasant for both the child and the healthcare providers.
During COVID, the Health Lab also partnered with a company to create a small, cute robot that helped children in hospitals who couldn’t have visitors. The robot provided companionship and emotional support, talking to the children and interacting with them in a way that eased some of the loneliness and stress caused by the pandemic.
Beyond these devices, Michael and David also touched on how they are incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into their work. For instance, they developed an app during the pandemic that helped determine where to set up COVID testing clinics in Rochester, based on data from residents. They also created a cognitive behavioral therapy app to provide mental health support during the isolation of the pandemic—a tool that’s still relevant and in use today.
This brings me to one of the areas that excites me the most: artificial intelligence. AI is transforming healthcare, and its potential to change the way we diagnose, treat, and even think about health is enormous. But with that comes a critical question—how do we ensure that AI is inclusive and serves everyone? We know that the medical data on which many of these AI models are built is biased. For instance, a common and dangerous misconception is that Black patients have a higher pain tolerance than white patients. We’ve seen this kind of bias seep into medical practice, and it’s imperative that we don’t let it take root in our digital tools as well.
This is where my work at Watson Nelson Consulting comes in. Our focus is on identifying and mitigating bias at every stage of product development, particularly in the rapidly evolving fields of AI and digital health. We need to make sure that as we develop these incredible new technologies, we don’t replicate—or worse, amplify—the mistakes of the past. It’s about asking the right questions at every stage of the process, from design to post-production feedback, to ensure that inclusion is built into the very fabric of these innovations.
I could tell from my conversations with Michael and David that while they have considered the implications of bias in their work before, they were genuinely open to learning more. That’s what makes being at the cutting edge of technology so exciting—being open to new ways of thinking, learning from past mistakes, and collaborating to make the world a better place. I left the event feeling energized and hopeful for the future, both in terms of healthcare and in terms of how we, as alumni, can continue to support the University of Rochester Health Lab’s mission to make healthcare more inclusive and accessible for all.
At the end of the day, that’s what really draws me to this work: the collective drive to make medicine human again, to center care around people, and to ensure that technological progress benefits everyone—not just a select few. It’s a mission I hope to continue supporting through my connections with the University of Rochester and the community of alumni I’ve met along the way.
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