Image library launched to address lack of diverse photography in healthcare

A new photo library has launched to address the shortage of images available showing health conditions on a range of skin tones.

Images featured in the library were captured from volunteers who attended photoshoots at community venues in Bristol to have their medical conditions (including rashes, scars and jaundice) professionally photographed. Clinicians, educators and members of the public now have free access to the image library to help improve diagnosis.

Photographs were taken as part of the Reframe project, a collaboration between UWE Bristol, NHS England and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust which began in January 2024. More than 1,000 images of medical conditions were captured from 158 volunteers with a wide variety of skin tones.

Reframe was initiated after the project team found that textbooks and web searches often only displayed health conditions as they presented on people with white skin. This underrepresentation of UK’s diverse population in medical resources poses a risk of misdiagnosis where conditions appear differently on dark skin compared with light skin.

The project team say the new library could play an important role in lowering misdiagnosis, speeding up correct diagnosis and offering patients better experiences of healthcare.

A second strand of the Reframe project focused on creating more diverse images of the healthcare workforce. Pictures of a wide range of healthcare professionals working in different settings were captured to increase the visibility of underrepresented groups, and these images also feature in the new photo library.

Debbie Hubbard, lead for the Reframe project and an Associate Director in UWE Bristol’s School of Health and Social Wellbeing, said: “Across the healthcare sector, there is growing recognition of the urgent need to address underrepresentation and bias within medical imagery. Traditional resources often fail to reflect the full diversity of our communities, contributing to disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and workforce inclusivity.

“The Reframe image library has been created in direct response to this challenge, offering a high-quality, standardised and freely accessible collection of over 3,000 clinical and professional images representing people from a wide range of backgrounds.

“Led by NHS England, UWE Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Reframe is reshaping the visual language of healthcare. Our resources could support better diagnostic confidence, enhance clinical education and promote inclusive representation within the NHS workforce.”

The photos can be accessed on the Reframe Image Library website.