By Jill Pease
Candice J. Adams-Mitchell, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, has been awarded a Clinicians Leading Ingenuity in Al Quality, or CLINAQ, Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity program, or AIM-AHEAD.
Adams-Mitchell is a clinical associate professor and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions’ department of speech, language, and hearing sciences.
The AIM-AHEAD program was created to enhance the participation and representation of researchers and communities currently underrepresented in the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning models, and to improve the capabilities of the technology, beginning with electronic health records and extending to other diverse data in order to address health disparities and inequities.
This is Adams-Mitchell’s third consecutive AIM-AHEAD fellowship. She previously was awarded fellowships in research and leadership.
“With the support of the earlier AIM-AHEAD fellowships, I’ve made significant strides in my research focusing on the health disparities faced by children with sickle cell disease,” Adams-Mitchell said. “These advancements include using AI for better management of acute symptoms and improved overall health outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease, and enhancing collaborations with interdisciplinary teams, including speech-language pathologists and health care providers, to create a more holistic care model.”
According to AIM-AHEAD, the CLINAQ Fellowship is designed to cultivate a new generation of clinicians who can champion AI in health care. Fellows will have opportunities to participate in the development of AI tools, assess the suitability for AI/machine learning solutions for specific clinical/workflow challenges, and identify approaches to enhance equity in care delivery. The program’s focus is to mitigate biases, enhance cultural competence and address health care disparities among diverse patient populations. Fellows are offered courses in AI and ethics, clinical AI workshops, mentoring, leadership training and peer networks.
Adams-Mitchell has identified several goals for her one-year CLINAQ Fellowship:
- Utilize machine learning algorithms to create predictive models that can identify individuals at risk for severe speech, language and swallowing complications related to sickle cell disease. By analyzing health records and various biomarkers, these models can help in early intervention and personalized care planning.
- Expand community outreach initiatives by developing a comprehensive educational program that integrates speech and language therapy into the care of children with sickle cell disease. This would involve training health care professionals and community members on the importance of these interventions.
- Foster partnerships with local health care organizations and advocacy groups to ensure sustainability and scalability of these programs.