From oximeters to AI, where bias in medical devices may lurk

Level 2: Intermediate – Teacher’s notes

it is equally possibly to underestimate one and that
Article summary: The article describes the people need to inhale as well as exhale (the phrasal
way certain medical devices used in the UK verbs breathe in and breathe out are more normally
have a racial and gender bias because they used in speech).
were originally designed for Caucasian men.
Key:
Time: 60 minutes 1. bias 7. vary
2. assume 8. pulse
Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing 3. gadget 9. handful
4. overestimate 10. funding
Language focus: Vocabulary 5. crucial 11. inclusive
6. exhale
Materials needed: One copy of the
worksheet per student
3. Comprehension check

a. The answers given are only suggestions and

1. Warmer students may correctly answer the questions in
different ways, e.g., in #9, they may simply say
a. The purpose of this activity is to introduce the topic ‘They don’t do this very often.’
of healthcare and health equipment but primarily
to prepare students for a text which contains all Key:
of these abbreviations. The gaps can be filled by 1. False. They measure the amount of oxygen in
adding words related to these topics, although #3 the blood.
and #5 have a more general application. Explain 2. False. They are higher among ethnic
that a regulatory agency is one that establishes rules minority people.
and regulations in a particular area of activity. PPE 3. False. They protect wearers from particles that
in healthcare includes items such as masks, gloves people breathe out.
and protective gowns. The NHS is the UK’s health 4. True
service, which is free at the point of use. 5. True
6. False. They measure lung capacity.
Key: 7. True
1. health 8. True
2. medical 9. False. They rarely do this.
3. minority 10. True
4. protective
5. artificial 4. Key language

Note: the verb ‘lurk’ in the headline, means ‘to hide a. Students could be asked to do this exercise
while waiting to do something bad’. individually and then compare their answers in pairs.
Ask students to refer back to the text to check their
2. Key words answers and see the expressions in context.

a. Ask students to do the exercise individually and Key:

then compare their answers in pairs or small groups. 1. d 5. c
Note that gadget and device are very similar in 2. a 6. e
meaning but the latter is more formal and therefore 3. f
appropriate for use with the adjective medical. Point 4. b
out that while it is possible to overestimate a number,
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 From oximeters to AI, where bias in medical devices may lurk
Level 2: Intermediate – Teacher’s notes

5. Discussion

a. Allow students time to note down their ideas about

each statement and encourage them to say why they
agree or disagree with each one.

6. In your own words

a. Students should find some basic information about

AI using the internet. They could use the information
to make a short presentation to the group.

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