Implementation of Reference Systems in Laboratory Medicine

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Abstract
In laboratory medicine, meaningful measurements are essential for the diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment, and follow-up of patients; therefore, methods applied in diagnostic measurements must be accurate, precise, specific, and comparable among laboratories (1). A given analytical measurement has only one true result, and the reliability of a measurement lies both in the result obtained and in the performance of a well-defined measurement procedure. Inadequate or incorrect analytical performance has consequences for the patient, the clinician, and the healthcare system. Poor-quality laboratory results may lead to incorrect interpretation by the physician, to a wrong diagnosis, and hence to treatment that impairs, or at least does not help, the patient’s situation.