PBS’s “NOVA” tackles a timely and vital issue in “When Machines Prescribe,” airing this Wednesday. The episode explores the increasing use of algorithms in medicine, examining how these supposedly objective tools may perpetuate racial bias in diagnosis and treatment.
While algorithms are often presented as a path to improved healthcare, “NOVA” questions whether they might be reinforcing existing inequalities. The program focuses on how the continued application of these algorithms, based on potentially outdated and biased data, has negatively affected the health of Black patients. The core issue? Some data fed into these systems is founded on old, disproven pseudoscience about racial differences.
“When Machines Prescribe” raises critical questions about the role of technology in healthcare. Are algorithms truly objective or are they mirroring and magnifying existing biases? Tune in to PBS this Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 PM ET for “NOVA: When Machines Prescribe.”
