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The relationship between measurement uncertainty and reporting interval

Tony Badrick1, Robert C Hawkins2

  • 1Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Australia tbadrick@bond.edu.au.

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry
|May 14, 2014
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Measurement uncertainty (MU) is crucial for interpreting lab results. This study shows how MU can optimize the reporting interval, ensuring accuracy and reflecting analytical performance for better clinical decisions.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Laboratory Medicine
  • Measurement Science

Background:

  • Measurement uncertainty (MU) is vital for clinical interpretation and laboratory quality control.
  • MU is not commonly used to set appropriate analyte reporting intervals.
  • This study explores the link between MU and analyte reporting intervals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish the relationship between measurement uncertainty and analyte reporting intervals.
  • To propose a method for optimizing reporting intervals based on MU.

Main Methods:

  • Defined reporting interval (R) as the smallest clinical reporting unit.
  • Established that reference change values and expanded MU must be calculable.
  • Determined the upper limit for R using expanded MU: R ≤ k·SDa/1.9.

Main Results:

  • Expanded MU offers a stricter criterion for setting the upper limit of the reporting interval.
  • The formula R ≤ k·SDa/1.9 provides a quantitative method for determining the appropriate reporting interval.

Conclusions:

  • Utilizing MU estimates for reporting intervals aligns practices with analytical capabilities.
  • This approach acknowledges the inherent error in laboratory measurements.
Keywords:
Statisticslaboratory managementlaboratory statisticsmeasurement uncertaintyreporting unit

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