AI shows gender bias; Representing the patient voice; 'Corridor care' and safety issues

Study: AI tool shows gender bias when summarising care notes

A study into AI summaries of care notes found one tool displayed significant gender-based differences. Researchers from The London School of Economics and Political Science evaluated gender bias in summaries of long-term care records generated with two open-source large language models, Meta’s Llama 3 and Google Gemma. Llama 3 showed no gender-based differences across any metrics. Gemma's male summaries focused more on physical and mental health issues. Language used for men was more direct, with women’s needs downplayed more often than men’s. For example, phrases like “he’s unable to do this” or “he is disabled” were common. For women, the language was more euphemistic and details of women's needs were sometimes omitted. For example, “she requires assistance” or “she has health needs". The study highlights how such summaries could exacerbate inequity in care provision and allocation decisions. 

Read the full study via the BMC website here.

CPOC is recruiting a Patient Lead

The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) is recruiting a Patient Lead. The successful candidate will represent patients on CPOC's board, chair the Patient & Public Engagement Network, and guide the team of patient representatives. The role is central to ensuring the patient voice is embedded in all aspects of CPOC’s work. The successful candidate will start in December 2025 for a three-year tenure. The role is voluntary but reasonable expenses will be paid. Much of CPOC's work is done remotely but some travel may be required. Applications close on 28 September. 

Find out more about the role and apply on the CPOC website here.

Study: The opportunities and risks of using AI for health information

A new research paper reviews the role, impact and ethical aspects of patients, caregivers and the general public using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools and large language models (LLMs) as sources of plain language medical information. Researchers reviewed published findings on opportunities and risks associated with use of GAI and LLMs. From the included articles, they found a focus on readability and accuracy. However, only three studies involved actual patients. Responses were reported to be reasonably accurate and sufficiently readable and detailed. The most commonly reported risks were oversimplification, over-generalisation, lower accuracy in response to complex questions, and lack of transparency regarding information sources. The review said these technologies must become more transparent, have appropriate governance and monitoring, and incorporate feedback from healthcare professionals, patients and other experts. 

Read more about the research paper via the Dovepress website here.

Investigation into temporary care environments

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has launched an investigation into "temporary care environments" and associated patient safety issues. The investigation was instigated after widespread concern about the use of temporary care environments. It follows campaigning on the issue of "corridor care" by the Royal College of Nursing. Temporary care environments are spaces that are not designed, staffed or equipped for care delivery. They include waiting rooms, corridors, chairs on wards, ambulances outside emergency departments and other areas of the hospital not designed for in-patient care. The HSSIB says its investigation will seek to understand:

• How, where and when temporary care environments are used.
• The needs of patients using temporary care environments, including those from vulnerable patient groups, and the associated patient safety issues.
• The impact of temporary care environments on patients and staff. 

Find out more about the investigation and how to get involved on the HSSIB website here.

Diabetes care to move away from 'one-size-fits-all' approach

PIF member NICE has said its new draft guidance could result in the biggest shake-up in diabetes care for a decade with millions of people benefitting from earlier access to treatments. The idea is to move away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach. The new guidance aims to shift from automatically starting everyone on one medicine to personalised treatment plans. The draft guideline aligns with the NHS 10-Year Health Plan which highlights the need for a shift from treatment to prevention. A public consultation on the draft is open until Thursday, 2 October.

Read more about the draft guideline on the NICE website here.

Review into the outcomes of courses for unpaid carers

Researchers from King's College London have reviewed the design and outcomes of online courses for informal carers. The review aimed to map the characteristics of courses, explore learner experiences and identify barriers and enablers to participation. Informal carers who provide unpaid support often have their own health and wellbeing challenges but the authors said their needs are often overlooked by healthcare providers. The findings of the review suggest open online courses may improve carers’ knowledge and skills and enable accessible, flexible learning. However, barriers to learning, including limited learner-to-learner interaction, time constraints, and digital or language barriers. This highlights the need for more inclusive and interactive course designs. Researchers concluded further high-quality research is needed to standardise outcomes.

Read more about the review via the JMIR website here.

Exploring the unexplained variation in where people die 

The Nuffield Trust has analysed what is behind the differences in place of death across the UK. Sarah Scobie writes that there is significant and unexplained variation in where people die across the UK. Almost half of deaths in Wales occur in hospital, compared with 4 in 10 in England where deaths in hospices and care homes are higher. Deaths at home are highest in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sarah examines whether patterns of social care provision, variation in community services and hospice provision could be factors influencing where people die. 

Read more about the analysis on the Nuffield Trust website here.

Event: Combating the rising tide of health misinformation

A free event on how to understand and combat the rising tide of health misinformation in the UK is being hosted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Centre for Epidemic Preparedness and Response. People can join the half-day event, on 15 September, in person or remotely. Leading misinformation experts will share their understanding of health misinformation challenges and discuss potential solutions. The event will include headline keynote speakers and a series of short talks highlighting examples of work to combat health misinformation. There will also be Q&As and panel discussions covering the concepts, issues, and questions involved. Guests attending in person are invited to stay on afterwards for a networking reception.

Find out more and register for the event via the Eventbrite website here.