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Related Experiment Videos

Over-reporting significant figures--a significant problem?

Robert C Hawkins1, Tony Badrick, Peter E Hickman

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433, Singapore. Robert_Hawkins@ttsh.com.sg

Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry
|July 15, 2006
PubMed
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Many laboratories use excessive significant figures, creating a false impression of imprecision. This study found reporting units are often unjustified by actual laboratory performance, necessitating a consensus on appropriate reporting standards.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Laboratory Medicine
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Excessive use of significant figures in laboratory data can mislead clinicians about analytical precision.
  • Current reporting practices in Asia-Pacific laboratories were examined.
  • The justification for reporting formats and unit sizes was assessed against laboratory performance data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe laboratory reporting practices for key analytes in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • To evaluate whether current reporting formats and unit sizes are scientifically justifiable based on laboratory performance.
  • To provide guidance on selecting appropriate significant figures for laboratory results.

Main Methods:

  • A survey was conducted among 32 Asia-Pacific laboratories regarding their reporting practices for serum creatinine, ferritin, sodium, and TSH.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Imprecision data from the RCPA-AACB Quality Assurance Program (QAP) were utilized.
  • Justification for reporting unit magnitudes was assessed against established guidelines (Tietz, RCPA Manual) and QAP data.

    • Main Results:

    • A 75% response rate was achieved, revealing widespread use of unjustifiable reporting deciles.
    • The majority of surveyed laboratories did not demonstrate that their chosen unit sizes were justified by performance data from the RCPA-AACB QAP.
    • Reporting unit sizes suggested by Tietz, the RCPA Manual, and the QAP were not supported by the majority of participating laboratories.

    Conclusions:

    • Laboratory reporting unit sizes are frequently not justified by current performance metrics at a 95% probability level.
    • A need exists for a consensus on appropriate reporting unit sizes to standardize laboratory data presentation.
    • Adopting standardized reporting formats is crucial for improving the clarity and reliability of laboratory results for clinicians.