IB Digital Society 4.4A Medicine and Health Key Definitions

Systematic, unfair outcomes produced by a computer system, often because the data it learned from under-represents some groups or encodes past inequality. In healthcare it can mean a tool works well for some patients and poorly for others.

Software, increasingly built on AI and machine learning, that analyses medical data and offers a clinician suggestions, such as flagging a likely diagnosis or a suspicious region on a scan. It supports the human decision rather than replacing it.

A subset of artificial intelligence that enables systems to learn from data and improve their performance over time without explicit programming.

The delivery of healthcare at a distance using digital networks, for example video consultations, remote messaging, and connected home devices. It can widen access to care but depends on having a device, connectivity, and digital confidence.

A device worn on or in the body that continuously measures health data such as heart rate, activity, or blood glucose. It can give the wearer real-time feedback and send readings to a care team for remote monitoring.