During the COVID-19 pandemic, pulse oximeters exposed a longstanding problem in medical technology: Inaccurate readings in patients with darker skin.
Emergency physician Uché Blackstock and behavioral scientist Charles R. Rogers examined how incomplete health data can reinforce racial disparities, influence clinical decisions and overlook patients who need care. The discussion, “Bad Data Is Costing Black Lives,” was moderated by journalist Segun Oduolowu at the 2026 HealthStack Conference.
Blackstock, who’s the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, explained that pulse oximeters can overestimate oxygen saturation in patients with darker skin. He added the inaccuracy could potentially mask dangerously low oxygen levels. Although the devices’ limitations had been documented for decades, the pandemic exposed the consequences for patient care.
For clinicians, the example underscores the importance of considering other clinical indicators when oxygen readings don’t match a patient’s symptoms.
When The Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story
Rogers, who’s the founder and president of the Colorectal Cancer Equity Foundation, warned that aggregated health statistics can conceal disparities. He cited the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities.
He raised similar concerns about colorectal cancer, describing it as the leading cause of cancer deaths among people younger than 50. Rogers also emphasized the disconnect between its growing toll and available screening methods. He called colorectal cancer “a preventable, beatable and treatable disease,” arguing that many deaths could be avoided through screening and early detection.
Oduolowu underscored the urgency of that warning. He questioned why colorectal cancer continues to claim lives despite the availability of colonoscopies and at-home screening tests.
The exchange reinforced the importance of identifying barriers to screening and helping patients understand their risks. Current guidelines recommend screening beginning at age 45 for adults at average risk, while some patients may need earlier screening.
Why Family History Matters
For Rogers, the importance of early detection is personal.
After learning about a relative’s advanced colorectal cancer diagnosis, he underwent screening at 42, when doctors discovered two precancerous polyps.
“Family secrets kill generations,” Rogers said. “Our DNA holds the gun, but lifestyle is what pulls the trigger.”
While lifestyle factors can influence cancer risk, family history can also affect screening recommendations. Clinicians should ask about relatives’ cancer diagnoses, including their ages at diagnosis and relationship to the patient.
Blackstock reinforced the importance of sharing family medical histories. She explained how some women diagnosed with breast cancer later learned that relatives had experienced the disease without discussing it openly.
“Sharing these stories can actually save the lives of our family members,” she said.
Building Trust and Expanding Access
Blackstock challenged assumptions about Black patients‘ willingness to participate in clinical research, explaining that some eligible patients are never offered opportunities because clinicians presume they will decline.
“Black and Hispanic people are more likely to sign up for clinical trials when we explain to them that it actually helps the community,” she said.
Blackstock also argued that clinical trial participants can receive particularly attentive care because of strict research protocols and oversight. However, participation does not guarantee better outcomes than standard treatment.
For clinicians and researchers, the discussion reinforced the importance of explaining research opportunities, their potential risks and benefits, and allowing eligible patients to make informed decisions.
Blackstock illustrated the value of trust through an encounter with her former barber in 2021, when he approached her with concerns about COVID-19 vaccination.
“You’re the only doctor I know. And you’re the only doctor I trust,” Blackstock recalled him saying.
She invited him and his adult daughter to discuss their questions. Both eventually got vaccinated, demonstrating how respectful communication can influence health decisions.
Oduolowu questioned how communities historically underserved or mistreated by health systems could develop similar trust without personal connections to physicians.
Rogers described one approach through training barbers as community health advocates, using established relationships to encourage colorectal cancer screening and prevention.
Moving From Awareness to Accountability
“We can’t change the past, but we can inform the future,” Oduolowu said, challenging the panelists to consider how communities could address longstanding disparities.
Blackstock identified accountability as a priority, urging health systems and technology developers to examine whether their tools and practices reinforce existing inequities.
Rogers emphasized collective action, calling for patients, frontline health workers and community members to help design health interventions rather than simply receive them.
For clinicians, the discussion underscored the importance of questioning the data guiding medical decisions, discussing family cancer histories and offering eligible patients research opportunities. Addressing disparities requires more than identifying gaps in health data, It requires ensuring those gaps do not continue to shape patient care.
