Biochemia Medica, Vol. 19 No. 2, 2009.
Review article
The assessment of interpretation of test results in laboratory medicine
Gordon S. Challand
Ping Li
Abstract
There is a growing need for laboratory professionals to o'er advice on the interpretation of results, typically by adding a brief interpretative comment to a report. Surprisingly little evidence-base data exists to support interpretation of laboratory test results, and interpretative comments accompanying laboratory reports are complex, usually consisting of several components which may suggest possible diagnoses and additional investigations. Every comment is different, and assessment of interpretation is difficult. We report different approaches that can be used: assessing whole comments or comment components or key phrases; and using independent assessors or a pooled panel of experts. No approach can be considered to be a 'gold standard' since assessment is an imperfect science and is a guide to, not a definition of unequivocal solutions. Although External Quality Assurance Schemes examining interpretation provide information to individual participants on how their comments compare with others, their primary purpose is educational, and even more importantly, these Schemes enable us to gather knowledge on how to better establish and develop interpretation.
Keywords
interpretation of results; External Quality Assurance Schemes
Hrčak ID:
37599
URI
Publication date:
3.6.2009.
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