Ethical Considerations for Machine Learning in Medical Research

This report delves into the ethical considerations surrounding the application of machine learning in medicine. It begins by providing a background on the use of machine learning in medical research, highlighting its potential for analyzing clinical parameters, predicting disease progression, and supporting patient management. The report then discusses the ethical implications of using machine learning, particularly the concern that it may replace human labor. A balanced view is presented by outlining the pros and cons of machine learning in medicine, including its ability to handle complex data and provide real-time predictions, as well as the challenges related to data availability and algorithm security. Furthermore, the report addresses ethical, safety, and integrity issues, such as unemployment, the lack of human judgment in machines, and the risks associated with data accuracy and security. Finally, it proposes a response plan to mitigate these issues and risks, emphasizing the need for ethical guidelines and data protection measures. The report concludes that while machine learning offers significant benefits to the medical field, it is crucial to address the associated ethical challenges to ensure responsible and beneficial implementation.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO IT EDUCATIONAL RSEARCH
INTRODUCTION TO IT EDUCATIONAL RSEARCH
Name of Student
Name of University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
2. Research background...................................................................................................................2
2.1. Machine learning in medicine..............................................................................................2
2.2. Ethics in using machine learning in medicine......................................................................3
3. Pros and Cons of research............................................................................................................4
3.1. Pros.......................................................................................................................................4
3.2 Cons.......................................................................................................................................5
4. Ethics issues, integrity and safety issues and risks......................................................................6
4.1. Ethical issues........................................................................................................................6
4.2 Safety and integrity issues.....................................................................................................6
4.3. Risks.....................................................................................................................................7
5. Response plan to the issues and risks..........................................................................................8
6. Conclusion...................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction
In this paper we would discuss regarding ethics in high education study. We have chosen
a particular topic under that. The topic is ethics related information for dealing with machine
learning in medicine (Gui and Chan 2017). The report mentions the background of the research.
It discusses regarding the pros and cons in the field of machine learning in medicine. Various
issues and challenges faced by the research are also mentioned in the report. A response plan to
the issues and risks has been provided.
2. Research background
2.1. Machine learning in medicine
Research in machine learning for various methods of medical applications stay centered
on numerous technological issues. They are mostly driven by application (Cabitza, Rasoini and
Gensini 2017). Machine learning has been used for carrying out the analysis regarding the
importance of various clinical parameters as well as the combinations for prognosis. Machine
learning is used in medical field for predicting disease progression, extracting knowledge of
medicine, therapy planning as well as support, patient management and many more (Leung,
Delong and Alipanahi 2016). Machine learning in medical science has been used for data

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analysis like detecting regularities in the data by dealing appropriately with data that are
imperfect, interpretation of the continuous data that is used by Intensive Care Unit.
2.2. Ethics in using machine learning in medicine
Similar to other fields, ethics has to be followed in the medical field as well. The policies
of ethics are followed by the members of the field. The ethics regarding the functioning of
machine learning is a very common thought that arises when the significant advancements of
these fields are analyzed (Chen and Asch 2017). The main ethical issue is that weather the usage
of machine learning would replace the labor. Machine learning has the ability to aid various
medical practices. Besides numerous advantages provided by machine learning, it also provides
many disadvantage that can be harmful for the medicine field. It is very interesting to use
machine learning in the field of medicine. The techniques of machine learning can learn from
huge amount of information regarding healthcare that is presently available. This data can be
used for assisting various clinical decisions making. Researchers have found out some
consequences that can be met if machine learning is used at an increased level.

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3. Pros and Cons of research
3.1. Pros
Some advantages of using machine learning in medicine are as follows
 Machine learning can be used in order to handle multi-variety as well as multi-
dimensional data in the dynamic environments. Medicine field consists of numerous data
regarding the patients (Koprowski and Foster 2018). These data should be kept in such a
way that they are accessed whenever necessary.
 Machine learning provides real-time predictions and fast processing. It helps the
professionals to predict diseases within the patients (Lasko, Walsh and Malin 2017). It
also helps to carry out the entire process by consuming less time.
 Machine learning in medicine provides continuous quality with huge as well as complex
environment of processes. Machine learning makes the working environment a bit
complex but it delivers quality outcome.

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3.2 Cons
Machine learning has numerous disadvantages as well. They are mentioned below
 Data: This is one of the biggest disadvantages of using machine learning in medicine. A
good machine learning system requires a lot of data. The main issue here is that where
the professional get data and what would is to be done if the desired data does not
actually exist. In some cases, data sought already exists. This data sought might be free
and open sourced (Goodfellow, Bengio and Courville 2016). It might be available to
public in return of some amount. This data might also be owned by a specific group of
people. In the field of medicine, this is very risky because if the data related to patients or
professionals in revealed, it would be harmful for the institute as well as the data owners.
Someone might use this available data for ill purposes.
 Algorithm: In most of the case, the institutes are busy securing their data and forget to
secure their algorithms. Usually everyone has access to the algorithms used by various
systems. People are also allowed to modify them according to their needs (Motwani,
Berman and Germano et al., 2016). In the field of medicine, algorithms might be changed
based on the necessities but allowing the access of the algorithms to everyone might be
harmful.

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4. Ethics issues, integrity and safety issues and risks
4.1. Ethical issues
 Unemployment: This is one of the major ethical issues faced by health institutes that use
machine learning in various processes (Yoo, Ramirez and Liuzzi 2014). Machine
learning has replaced the human labor to some extent which brings about unemployment
among young people who are aspiring for jobs.
 Stupidity: Machines can be very precise and more accurate than humans but the fact has
to be considered that machines do not have brains or feelings (McDonald, Ramagopalan
and Cox 2017). In sensitive cases like handling serious patients human labor should b
preferred because machines would not be able to differentiate between sensitive cases
and normal cases.
4.2 Safety and integrity issues
Safety issues are one of the major issues faced by the medical institutes. The data owned
by them are to be saved in such a way that they are accessed by authorized users only. The field
of medicine owns data regarding various patients and their medications (Yoo, Ramirez and
Liuzzi 2014). These data are very sensitive and are to be saved in proper manner. The
organizations use data produced by machines in order to predict better results for future.

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4.3. Risks
Using machine learning in medicine makes the field face many risks. One of the risks
includes accuracy. Medicine is a field which requires accurate data. Improper data might impose
serious issues to the patients as well as institute. There are various potential risks that can be
faced by the organization due to inaccurate data (Yoo, Ramirez and Liuzzi 2014). Consistent
accuracy of data maintains the people’s trust in technology. One more risk includes security of
data. Security of data is the major concern of any medical institute. Exposure of data regarding
patients might result in disclosing their personal data such as name, address, health information,
financial information and many more.

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5. Response plan to the issues and risks
Figure 1: Response plan for the issues and risks
6. Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that machine learning has been at the edge of
technology. Every business is using machine learning for automating their process, reduce
human labor and increase the perfection of operations carried out. Machine learning plays a vital
role in every business including medicine. Various applications of machine learning that are used
by medicine are disease identification, personalized treatment, drug discovery, clinical trial
research, radiology as well as radiotherapy, electronic health records and prediction of epidemic

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outbreak. In the field of medicine, besides various advantages it also has disadvantages that can
be very harmful for the field.

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References
Cabitza, F., Rasoini, R. and Gensini, G.F., 2017. Unintended consequences of machine learning
in medicine. Jama, 318(6), pp.517-518.
Chen, J.H. and Asch, S.M., 2017. Machine learning and prediction in medicine—beyond the
peak of inflated expectations. The New England journal of medicine, 376(26), p.2507.
Goodfellow, I., Bengio, Y., Courville, A. and Bengio, Y., 2016. Deep learning (Vol. 1).
Cambridge: MIT press.
Gui, C. and Chan, V., 2017. Machine learning in medicine. University of Western Ontario
Medical Journal, 86(2), pp.76-78.
Koprowski, R. and Foster, K.R., 2018. Machine learning and medicine: book review and
commentary.
Lasko, T.A., Walsh, C.G. and Malin, B., 2017. Benefits and Risks of Machine Learning Decision
Support Systems. Jama, 318(23), pp.2355-2355.
Leung, M.K., Delong, A., Alipanahi, B. and Frey, B.J., 2016. Machine learning in genomic
medicine: a review of computational problems and data sets. Proceedings of the IEEE, 104(1),
pp.176-197.

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McDonald, L., Ramagopalan, S.V., Cox, A.P. and Oguz, M., 2017. Unintended consequences of
machine learning in medicine?. F1000Research, 6.
Motwani, M., Dey, D., Berman, D.S., Germano, G., Achenbach, S., Al-Mallah, M.H., Andreini,
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