Quality Requirements and Standards
The eighth part of an extended discussion of HbA1c methods and the analytical quality necessary for patient care. This discussion tackles the subject of how we make decisions about the acceptability of performance. We may run studies, calculate statistics, but how do we interpret them in the end? Using Sigma-metrics and a tool called the Method Decision chart, we can make decisions clearer.
The seventh part of an extended discussion of HbA1c methods and the analytical quality necessary for patient care. This discussion tackles the subject of how we judge method performance. We may run studies, calculate statistics, but how do we interpret them in the end? With POC devices, a new tool called "error grids" is increasingly coming into play.
The sixth part of an extended discussion of HbA1c methods and the analytical quality necessary for patient care. Studies in the literature can generate loads of statistics. But readers may find it hard to determine if the right numbers were calculated - or what conclusions should be drawn from the statistics that were calculated.
The fifth part of an extended discussion of HbA1c methods and the analytical quality necessary for patient care. When we say HbA1c, do we all agree on what is actually being measured by the test?
The fourth part of an extended discussion of HbA1c methods and the analytical quality necessary for patient care. This lesson draws on the January 2010 issue of Clinical Chemistry, which had a full-fledged evaluation study on Point-of-Care HbA1c instruments, as well as the February 2010 issue of Clinical Laboratory News, and a 2009 abstract of the performance of 2 new HbA1c methods.