The NAACP Calls for the Elimination of Race-based Clinical Equations in the Development and Use of Algorithms

WHEREAS, clinical equations have been used to support clinical decision-making in patient care and are often based on the predictive power of large datasets based on outmoded and disproven concepts of race; and

WHEREAS, the use of race as a determinant in treatment decisions has been disputed given that racial classification has been misused in biology, and exists as a social and political construct; and

WHEREAS, treatment for conditions such as kidney disease, hypertension, and cancer can be mis-treated when race and ethnicity are used diagnostically; and

WHEREAS, in one example, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology have recommended alternatives to race-based kidney function equations since 2021, but multiple barriers remain to wider implementation; and

WHEREAS, critical examples of race-based clinical algorithms have caused disparate impact on Black populations and other historically excluded groups.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the NAACP strongly opposes using race-based clinical equations and clinical decision tools where there are evidence of unequal health outcomes and the worsening of health inequities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP affirms that a social, political, or biological definition of race in medicine is harmful and inaccurate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP demands that Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act be enforced that prohibits covered entities from discriminating on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in the administration of health programs and activities, and that Section 1557 be enforced to require transparency and public reporting from algorithm developers to mitigate the risk of bias; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls for comprehensive efforts to improve data quality and collaboration from governments and the private sector to ensure algorithms are trained on comprehensive and representational datasets, and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls on the federal government, state legislatures and state attorneys general to prevent racial bias in algorithms through legislation and investigations.