Striving towards Diversity and Inclusion in Surgical Data Science

Proper representation among ethnicities, geographies, and medical backgrounds in surgical research is key to shaping the future of healthcare for everyone – but right now, there is tremendous data scarcity amongst marginalized communities that renders the puzzle incomplete. 

Historically, medical datasets have primarily reflected Caucasian populations in and around major urban research centers, leaving ethnic minorities and underserved regions ostracized from clinical research. Not only that, but healthcare studies have frequently demonstrated profound sex biases, resulting in male-subject-dominated research that is subsequently generalized to all other individuals.

SDSC believes every community deserves to be represented in the future of surgical care. By expanding how we collect and use data, we have the power to reshape global health equity. We are dedicated to building a diverse, global surgical data repository to empower more inclusive medical research.

The Challenge: Lack of Diversity in Medical Data

Currently, the vast majority of medical datasets lack diversity, as they predominantly draw from regions and populations with better access to research infrastructure. The resulting imbalance can lead to treatment inequality, where medical tools and treatments designed for limited demographics may be less effective for others. It can also reduce the accuracy of surgical AI tools, as models trained on homogenous datasets risk perpetuating biases that result in inequitable care quality. Additionally, ethnic minorities and regions with limited research access frequently remain invisible in the data, further widening gaps in care.

This is extremely pressing in the surgical field, where biological, cultural, and resource-based factors can significantly influence outcomes. Without inclusive data, we risk leaving entire populations behind in medical advancements.

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Our Solution: A Global Repository of Surgical Data

SDSC is determined to change the narrative. Our global surgical data repository is designed to reflect the full spectrum of human diversity. By enabling international cooperation through Surgical Video Platform (SVP), we empower researchers worldwide to share their data from increasingly heterogeneous populations. Our efforts focus on reducing data scarcity in underserved regions where data has previously been limited or absent. Furthermore, by ensuring AI tools are trained on broader datasets, we aim to prevent biases that could lead to unequal care delivery.

Our outreach efforts emphasize partnerships with institutions devoted to global health equity. Not only are we addressing the lack of data from low- and middle-income countries, but tackling the challenges of diseases that largely affect people in developing nations, where cases are often scattered globally, making research difficult without a centralized resource. For example, our partnership with NeuroKids, a fellow nonprofit, allows us to help save children’s lives by reducing the burden of hydrocephalus, spina bifida, and shunt dependence through AI-driven training.

Our collaboration with the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda further highlights the importance of equitable resource distribution. UGHE, a nonprofit hospital, struggles to train surgeons due to a lack of surgical video resources. By reaching out to the members of our abundant Research and Clinical communities, we are facilitating the donation of surgical video footage to help train the next generation of surgical leaders.  

SDSC is also expanding the boundaries of surgical data science by venturing into women’s health, marking a bold step towards inclusivity and innovation in the field. By welcoming Dr. Pamela Peters, an OB/GYN surgical specialist in California, to our Clinical Leadership Committee, we are not only embracing a new perspective, but pioneering the application of surgical AI in a domain where it has been underexplored. We aim to bring AI’s transformative potential into OB/GYN practice, spreading the insights and precision that AI can offer into gynecologic procedures.

Join us in Closing the Diversity Gap

SVP is a powerful tool for capturing data in new ways. By collecting de-identified patient demographics alongside procedural footage, we are improving the incorporation of data from regions historically excluded from research. In building this repository, we transition to a more inclusive and effective foundation for advancing surgical science and patient care worldwide.

Creating a truly inclusive future in surgical care requires collective effort. We invite researchers, clinicians and innovators to join us in building a healthier, more equitable world – one dataset at a time. At SDSC, we are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in data collection, and fostering global collaboration that engages diverse communities and medical professionals in a respectful and inclusive manner. For more details, explore our Data Security Blog, where we break down how SDSC ensures safety and trust in our data practices.

SDSC strives to be at the center of surgical video research, but we can’t do it alone – researchers bringing in, and using, diverse data is key to empowering global health equity.