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Sajid Javid Orders Review Of Medical Device Racial Bias

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naomi24 | 11:20 Sun 21st Nov 2021 | News
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//A review into whether medical devices are equally effective regardless of the patient's ethnicity has been ordered by Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

Research suggests oximeters, which are clipped to a person's finger, can overstate the level of oxygen in the blood of people from ethnic minorities.

Ministers want to know whether bias could have prevented patients receiving appropriate Covid treatment.

Mr Javid said any bias was "totally unacceptable". //

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59363544

The word bias smacks of something quite deliberate which I'm certain isn't the case. Should Mr Javid et al choose their words more carefully? I think so.
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Perhaps, instead of using the word 'bias' (which is open to misinterpretation), they ought to have said that oximeters are proving to be less effective on dark skin.
11:34 Sun 21st Nov 2021
His use of words "it's unintentional" is signalling that he doesn't believe it's 'quite deliberate'.

Bias is a term used in science and statistics and in and of itself does not imply the root cause.
"The word bias smacks of something quite deliberate"

It does not.

A bias can be quite unconscious but real.

The question author may be thinking of 'prejudice' rather than 'bias'. This is an important story and we shouldn't be focussing on semantics when people's lives are at stack.

No matter what agenda some may have.
Very well put archibaldy.
THECORBYLOON

People say he lied, and have suggested that he didn't actually receive the 'Punish a Muslim' letter, but I suggest you look it up for yourself because they might be talking cobblers. From what I've seen Javid received a letter, but tweeted a picture of an identical letter sent a week earlier to someone else.

The Met police launched an investigation and two of his staff were taken to hospital.

People who call him a liar because of this can safely be ignored.
//From what I've seen Javid received a letter, but tweeted a picture of an identical letter sent a week earlier to someone else.//

He would say that, wouldn't he. But only after his subterfuge was very cleverly exposed.
I wish The Corbyloon would ignore me, SP. I asked him to quite a while ago but he, erm, ignored me. (as he's entitled to)
Spicerack

The immediate area around his office was was evacuated and two of his staff were taken to hospital.

Do you think everyone was involved in this subterfuge.

And really...do you think he made it up?

Seriously.

If you stand back - do you absolutely think he made it up, and his staff made up it up...and the Met police? And the courts when the bloke who sent the letter was charged?

Really?
What I found interesting is that this very issue was addressed on the serial "Doctors" around 2 years ago (might have been 18 months) They bought in no touch soap dispensers and Bear, the practice manager found they didn't work for him because of his skin colour.
SPICERACK, if you or anyone else makes a claim, am I not allowed to ask for the evidence supporting that claim?
SPICERACK, He gave his reasons for not showing the original letter but I'll let you search Google for them.
We've always known medical treatment is biased. It isn't evilly deliberate, but is obvious, known and ignored.
Pretty much all medication and treatments are designed for and tested on, predominantly on white males.
Women are too complicated to use in trials, not sure about non-white people, not enough volunteers, not enough effort? Obviously pregnant women, children, and severely ill people aren't used...
It's been only relatively recently, considering how common they are, that doctors are starting to use antidepressants differently for females, as they work differently for them.

Bias doesn't mean deliberate. It isn't intentional.
When you put it like that, SP, yes, I do.

At a time when many prominent Muslims were receiving this letter, Sajid claimed 'I got one of those' despite being pretty tough on all things Muslim. 'and here it is' Cue picture of threatening letter.
Only when other people pointed out that he'd c/p'd a letter sent to someone else did he bluster 'well, yes but no but yes. It was just an example of a threatening letter'.
I suspect that you or him or the pair of you are conflating two different incidents. Nobody else mentioned suspicious powder in those 'punch a Muslim' letters and I never heard of anyone being caught for sending them.
However, I could well imagine the Home Secretary receiving possibly 'spiked letters' from time to time. Especially an outwardly 'tough on Islam' one.
I understand why you think that Spicerack.
Question Author
SP, I know what I’m thinking and I know how that word may be interpreted. Your speculation regarding the OP is surplus to requirements.
Interpreted by you...not by most people reading the story. Because you wrote:

The word bias smacks of something quite deliberate

That's your opinion - and you are wrong.

Bias can be conscious and it can be completely unconscious. In this case, bias can be traced to the technical specifications of the instruments.

If the machines cannot compensate for a built in bias, it's right that ministers, clinicians and patients are made aware.



Question Author
SP: you only ever pop up when something arises that you feel needs defending. I’ll wait for the accusations of racism that ‘bias’ is prone to illicit.
Oh dear.
Question Author
*elicit … although the first might be appropriate here.
naomi24

//SP: you only ever pop up when something arises that you feel needs defending.//

We both know that isn't true. Have a look at my profile. Whilst I've been looking in on the AB over the past couple of months, I've not posted anything until this weekend.

I think people like you (who have the time and energy to post on a whole variety of subjects) are good for this site. But I'll never be able to match the volume of opinions you generously share.
Question Author
You do your bit.

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