Guest Essay
Which improvements should be made first? Unfortunately, we seem to be arguing that some errors are more important (i.e. worse) than others. But rather than make a Chicken-or-Egg choice, David Plaut, Dr. Westgard, and Sten Westgard urge an analysis of these types of errors. The answer to the question of which improvements come first need not be "pre" or "post" or "analytical" - it should be "all three at once."
Dr. Carmen Ricos and her colleagues have provided us with an update to their 2000 Biological Variation Database. New analytes have been added, figures have been updated and in some cases, corrected. This article summarizes all the changes made to the desirable specifications for total error, bias, and imprecision (derived from biological variation) for hundreds of analytes.
Callum G. Fraser, Ph.D., the noted expert on biologic variation, takes an in-depth look at new guidelines for hsCRP. While the AHA/CDC has produced a scientific statement, sadly, he finds they have not found the scientific truth.
CLIA, JCAHO, CAP, CMMS....This festival of acronyms can only mean one thing: Dr. Sharon Ehrmeyer, our highly esteemed and frequent contributor, is updating us on the latest in quality regulations. See the latest rules you need to know.
What is GUM? Well, it's not something you chew. It's the ISO Guide to Uncertainty in Measurements. And as ISO standards become more widely used for accreditation of laboratories worldwide, GUM will become more widely used by both laboratories and manufacturers. But is GUM useful? superfluous? injurious? Recently, a panel of seven Scandinavian scientists examined GUM and evaluated its usefulness. We are pleased to share their findings.