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Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

arstechnica.com

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Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#11

Post by Jordrok »

refurb wrote: post #8
giraffe_lady wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting detail to focus on. Would not have occurred to me anyway. Is there a more accurate but still commonly used word that most english speakers would understanding as roughly grouping people by the shade of their skin? Also is it possible that it does break down across the same lines we'd draw for "race?" For example I have pretty dark skin for my national origin, am usually, but not always, considered white a…

They could have just said "For years, studies have found skin-color bias in common oxygen-measuring devices called pulse oximeters..." It would have been factually accurate since it's skin color that's the issue. Of course Arstechnica already knew that . Look at the FDA documents linked in the article. The FDA says "The committee will discuss ongoing concerns that pulse oximeters may be less accurate in individuals w…

You are heavily, heavily overreacting here. Take a breath.

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#12

Post by loonster »

Jordrok wrote: post #11
refurb wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could have just said "For years, studies have found skin-color bias in common oxygen-measuring devices called pulse oximeters..." It would have been factually accurate since it's skin color that's the issue. Of course Arstechnica already knew that . Look at the FDA documents linked in the article. The FDA says "The committee will discuss ongoing concerns that pulse oximeters may be less accurate in individuals w…

You are heavily, heavily overreacting here. Take a breath.

I consider it valid criticism. It does not need to be a racial issue.

When I was growing up, I was one of the few white kids in my circle of friends. One of the kids was always beating his chest on how the white man is keeping the brown man down. This is exactly the type of nonsense he would bring up.

The pulse oximeter wasn't purposely designed to give false readings to darker people.

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#13

Post by serf »

Jordrok wrote: post #11
refurb wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could have just said "For years, studies have found skin-color bias in common oxygen-measuring devices called pulse oximeters..." It would have been factually accurate since it's skin color that's the issue. Of course Arstechnica already knew that . Look at the FDA documents linked in the article. The FDA says "The committee will discuss ongoing concerns that pulse oximeters may be less accurate in individuals w…

You are heavily, heavily overreacting here. Take a breath.

I don't think it's an over-reaction at all. Racial inequality is a hot topic, as well it should be -- it's a given that media outlets will use hot topics as a means to make money; the problem here is that brewing up anger over a supposed racial bias is entirely incorrect and potentially damning for no good reason.

Little effort is needed to provoke outrage about racial discrimination, I think that it's up to good citizens, particularly journalists or those with a 'loud voice' to make sure that they don't stir the pot and create unneeded tensions and hatred for no good reason other than more clicks.

It would take a lot to make me believe that the wording wasn't purposeful.

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#14

Post by MichaelCollins »

Jordrok wrote: post #11
refurb wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could have just said "For years, studies have found skin-color bias in common oxygen-measuring devices called pulse oximeters..." It would have been factually accurate since it's skin color that's the issue. Of course Arstechnica already knew that . Look at the FDA documents linked in the article. The FDA says "The committee will discuss ongoing concerns that pulse oximeters may be less accurate in individuals w…

You are heavily, heavily overreacting here. Take a breath.

If he were wrong, you'd have been able to formulate a better response than tone policing.

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#15

Post by tdeck »

loonster wrote: post #12
Jordrok wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are heavily, heavily overreacting here. Take a breath.

I consider it valid criticism. It does not need to be a racial issue. When I was growing up, I was one of the few white kids in my circle of friends. One of the kids was always beating his chest on how the white man is keeping the brown man down. This is exactly the type of nonsense he would bring up. The pulse oximeter wasn't purposely designed to give false readings to darker people.

The pulse oximeter was apparently not properly tested or calibrated on dark skinned people, despite being a widely used medical device. You don't see evidence of bias there, when people with darker skin are an afterthought?

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#18

Post by hulitu »

tdeck wrote: post #15
loonster wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I consider it valid criticism. It does not need to be a racial issue. When I was growing up, I was one of the few white kids in my circle of friends. One of the kids was always beating his chest on how the white man is keeping the brown man down. This is exactly the type of nonsense he would bring up. The pulse oximeter wasn't purposely designed to give false readings to darker people.

The pulse oximeter was apparently not properly tested or calibrated on dark skinned people, despite being a widely used medical device. You don't see evidence of bias there, when people with darker skin are an afterthought?

> You don't see evidence of bias there, when people with darker skin are an afterthought?

I see a bias. However, maybe the testing was done only on poor white people because that's what the testing company employed (due to operating in a poor country with no significant "coloured" people population). Everybody wants to save money. Test results almost do not matter if the test is "done". Especially when "best practice" comes from SW.

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#19

Post by faeriechangling »

refurb wrote: post #5

”For years, studies have found racial bias in common oxygen-measuring devices called pulse oximeters” This writing is terrible. How is a meter biases against “race”? Does the meter give an incorrect reading for a light skinned black person but a better reading for a dark skinned white person of the same color?

It’s racially bias because the reading has a systemic statistical error which correlates with race.

Re: Dangerously wrong oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients spur FDA scrutiny

#20

Post by faeriechangling »

refurb wrote: post #8
giraffe_lady wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting detail to focus on. Would not have occurred to me anyway. Is there a more accurate but still commonly used word that most english speakers would understanding as roughly grouping people by the shade of their skin? Also is it possible that it does break down across the same lines we'd draw for "race?" For example I have pretty dark skin for my national origin, am usually, but not always, considered white a…

They could have just said "For years, studies have found skin-color bias in common oxygen-measuring devices called pulse oximeters..." It would have been factually accurate since it's skin color that's the issue. Of course Arstechnica already knew that . Look at the FDA documents linked in the article. The FDA says "The committee will discuss ongoing concerns that pulse oximeters may be less accurate in individuals w…

Colorism is a pretty huge issue in many countries as well, with women buying skin lighting creams because they think it will help them in romance and work. This seems like a big reaction to a minor point because skin color is obviously tied up with racial identity, we literally have two groups of people called “black people” and “white people”.
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