Pulse oximeters are less accurate in hospitalized Black patients: New IHPI policy brief

A new IHPI policy brief summarizes the work of a team of members led by Michael Sjoding, M.D., M.Sc., to test the accuracy of pulse oximeter devices in Black people compared to white people.

The team first published its findings suggesting the devices are less accurate at measuring the blood oxygen levels of Black patients in late 2020, in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Subsequent analyses have looked at other aspects of this issue, and the attention to this work has led to Sjoding's participation at an upcoming U.S. Food and Drug Administration meeting on the topic of these FDA-regulated devices. 

Read the full policy brief, including key takeaways from the research and policy implications, here. 

For his leadership of research and outreach to stakeholders on pulse oximeter accuracy, Sjoding was named one of two winners of the 2021 IHPI Policy Impact Award.