What is differential bias in relation to skin pigment?

‘Differential bias’ (sometimes referred to as disparate bias) attempts to describe how much a pulse oximeter performs differently in people with light skin pigment as compared to dark skin pigment. To determine this, we compare the device’s bias (how much it over or under-reads SpO2) for people with very light skin and people with very dark skin*. 

Differential bias is calculated independently for two different SpO2 ranges (70-85% and 85-100%). Thresholds for allowable differential bias are not yet established though proposals have targeted 3.5-4% for the SpO2 70-85% range, and 1.5-2% for the SpO2 85-100% range. 

For example:

• Scenario 1: If a pulse oximeter on a person with light skin reads 1% higher than their true blood oxygen saturation (e.g., the oximeter shows 91% when the actual blood oxygen saturation is 90%), and on a person with dark skin it reads 2% higher (e.g., it shows 92% when the actual blood oxygen saturation is also 90%), the differential bias between the two is 1%.
• Scenario 2: If the pulse oximeter on a person with light skin reads 2% lower than their true blood oxygen saturation (e.g., the device shows 88% when the actual blood oxygen saturation is 90%), and on a person with dark skin it reads 1% lower (e.g., it shows 89% when the true value is 90%), the differential bias here is also 1%, but in the opposite direction.
• Scenario 3: If the pulse oximeter on a person with light skin shows no bias (e.g., reads exactly 90% when the actual blood oxygen saturation is 90%), but on a person with dark skin it reads 5% higher (e.g., the device shows 95% when the actual value is 90%), the differential bias is 5%.

These examples demonstrate how differential bias can manifest as either higher or lower readings depending on skin pigment.  

*Using modeling of skin pigment and SpO2 data, very light skin and very dark skin are defined as having an difference in ITA of 100. Read more about ITA here.