Dr. Noha Aboelata on the Pulse Oximeter Problem

Why It Matters

Flawed pulse oximeters perpetuate racial bias in clinical care and insurance access, risking delayed treatment and deaths for Black patients; regulatory and technological inaction means these disparities continue to affect care decisions at scale.

Summary

Dr. Noha Aboelata recounts treating a Black patient whose pulse oximeter falsely showed acceptable oxygen levels, forcing a painful blood test to prove he needed home oxygen. She notes a New England Journal of Medicine study during the pandemic confirming pulse oximeters are roughly three times more likely to miss dangerously low oxygen in Black patients. Despite this evidence, these uncorrected devices remain widely used across hospitals, ambulances, clinics and homes, with regulators and manufacturers failing to update standards or technology. Aboelata frames the issue as systemic indifference that risks lives rather than a mere technical or eligibility quirk.

Original Description

Are pulse oximeters risking Black patients' lives? Episode 4 of the Intention to Treat podcast explores the story of the pulse oximeter and the deadly consequences when a critical medical test doesn’t work on dark skin. Listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.