A Practical Framework for Promoting Justice-Oriented Innovation in Radiology

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Health Equity
• Innovation in Radiology

Background:

• Radiology's role in perpetuating imaging disparities is increasingly recognized.
• Innovations may inadvertently create or worsen these disparities if justice is not considered.
• Physicians' core commitments include doing no harm, doing good, and ensuring justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose redefining stewardship in radiologic innovation to prioritize justice.
• To outline structural changes and a template for justice-oriented innovation.
• To provide a rubric for identifying and prioritizing innovations that mitigate imaging disparities.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development for justice-oriented innovation.
• Analysis of structural requirements for equitable innovation.
• Proposal of a rubric for prioritizing innovations impacting imaging disparities.

Main Results:

• A redefinition of stewardship in radiologic innovation is proposed, emphasizing a positive obligation to justice.
• A framework and template are presented for developing innovations that address imaging disparities.
• A rubric is offered to guide the prioritization of justice-oriented innovations.

Conclusions:

• Radiologic innovation must proactively address justice to mitigate imaging disparities.
• Prioritizing justice in innovation requires identifying, understanding, and targeting disparities.
• Innovations demonstrating potential to reduce disparities should receive accelerated development and commercialization pathways.