Authors: Solveig Linko
Publish Date: 2004/01/27
Volume: 9, Issue: 3, Pages: 137-140
Abstract
Assessment and expression of analytical quality have become novel spotlights in medical laboratories since accreditation began in the early 1990s in Europe Evaluation of uncertainty of measurement by definition was launched in Finland when the Finnish Accreditation Service FINAS accredited the first medical laboratories in the mid 1990s In spite of all the analytical and statistical knowledge which has been available in medical laboratories for years evaluation of total uncertainty of measurement has not yet caught on The concept is still unfamiliar to experts and indeed little guidance has been available National and international activities with good results can be shown when the educational aspect is considered The Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement GUM remains the main document for uncertainty evaluation Uncertainty of measurement together with target value of uncertainty can be used as a good measure for analytical quality in large or smaller laboratories over time because it is a quantitative indication and the evaluation is easy to repeat as running practical tools are available
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