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On the calculation of a "reference change" for comparing two consecutive measurements
Clinical Chemistry
|January 1, 1983
Summary
A new statistical method calculates a significant reference change for individual test results, improving accuracy over traditional methods. This approach reduces false positives and can detect trends in multiple measurements.
Area of Science:
- Clinical chemistry
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Assessing the significance of changes in serial laboratory test results is crucial for patient monitoring.
- Existing methods for determining reference change values may be limited by assumptions about within-person variability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a statistical method for calculating a more specific reference change value (RCV).
- To extend the method for detecting trends in three successive measurements.
Main Methods:
- A novel statistical approach was developed to calculate RCV, accounting for individual variations in within-person variances.
- The method was applied to analyze semi-annual serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase measurements in 698 individuals.
Main Results:
- The proposed method yields a more specific RCV, reducing the likelihood of false positive interpretations of test result changes.
- The statistical framework allows for the extension to trend analysis across multiple sequential measurements.
Conclusions:
- The developed statistical method provides a more robust and specific measure for evaluating changes in serial laboratory tests.
- This approach has potential applications in monitoring patient populations and identifying significant trends in clinical chemistry data.