Fairness Metrics based on the AUC in Clinical Predictive AI
This paper examines eight AUC-based fairness metrics for clinical prediction models, highlighting that the AUC is non-collapsible, so subgroup and overall values are not directly comparable. The authors characterize each metric's estimand, relate them to the decomposition of overall AUC, and use EuroSCORE II simulations to illustrate behavior. They recommend within-group AUC parity and caution against gap-to-overall, equity-scaled, and minimum-based metrics.
Why it matters: Provides a critical evaluation of fairness metrics with practical recommendations for clinical AI, directly useful for model developers and researchers.