Towards Value Awareness in the Medical Field

Manel Rodriguez-Soto, Nardine Osman, Carles Sierra, Paula Sánchez Veja, Rocio Cintas Garcia, Cristina Farriols Danes, Montserrat Garcia Retortillo, Silvia Minguez Maso

Abstract: This position paper aims to illustrate how models and mechanisms can be designed to support value-aware decision-making in the medical field. Such models and mechanisms allow for assessing the alignment of specific behaviours with human values, which could help medical personnel decide when to follow or break a protocol and help relevant boards decide when and how to update existing protocols. AI supporting decision-making in medicine is not new. Yet, AI that raises awareness about the alignment of medical decisions concerning human values is novel despite the vital importance of bioethics in the field. This paper presents a proposal for the formalisation of values and the design of models and mechanisms that raise value awareness in the medical field.