Ethical Framework for Responsible Foundational Models in Medical Imaging

Abhijit Das, Debesh Jha, Jasmer Sanjotra, Onkar Susladkar, Suramyaa Sarkar, Ashish Rauniyar, Nikhil Kumar Tomar, Vanshali Sharma, Ulas Bagci

Abstract: Foundational models (FMs) have tremendous potential to revolutionize medical imaging. However, their deployment in real-world clinical settings demands extensive ethical considerations. This paper aims to highlight the ethical concerns related to FMs and propose a framework to guide their responsible development and implementation within medicine. We meticulously examine ethical issues such as privacy of patient data, bias mitigation, algorithmic transparency, explainability and accountability. The proposed framework is designed to prioritize patient welfare, mitigate potential risks, and foster trust in AI-assisted healthcare.