  Studies have shown pulse oximeter measurements of blood oxygenation have
statistical bias that is a function of race, which results in higher rates of
occult hypoxemia, i.e., missed detection of dangerously low oxygenation, in
patients of color. This paper further characterizes the statistical
distribution of pulse ox measurements, showing they also have a higher variance
for patients racialized as Black, compared to those racialized as white. We
show that no single race-based correction factor will provide equal performance
in the detection of hypoxemia. The results have implications for racially
equitable pulse oximetry.
