A Practical Framework for Promoting Justice-Oriented Innovation in Radiology

Abstract

This article argues that innovation should be guided by the values of the field it hopes to advance. As radiology has come to recognize its role in creating or perpetuating imaging disparities, it has become evident that imaging disparities may arise from innovations that fail to consider impacts on justice from the outset. Acknowledging that a radiologist’s deepest commitments as a physician involve doing no harm, doing good, and ensuring justice, we propose redefining stewardship in radiologic innovation to include a positive obligation to prioritize justice in innovation. Engaging in justice-oriented innovation requires an imaging disparity to be identified, understood, and targeted through a concerted developmental effort. To this end, we consider the structural changes necessary to achieve this objective and provide a template outlining a future for radiologic innovation that aims to mitigate imaging disparities. We provide a simple rubric by which innovative efforts can be deemed “justice-oriented innovations” in environments featuring a surplus of ideas and limited resources to facilitate their prioritization. Innovations that are likely to mitigate imaging disparities should have access to accelerated pipelines for development and commercialization.