Performance criteria of the post-analytical phase

Quality in healthcare is ideally at an optimal benchmark, but must be at least above the minimal standards for care. While laboratory quality is ideally judged in clinical terms, laboratory medicine has also used biological variations and state-of-the-art criteria when, as is often the case, clinical outcome studies or clinical consensus are not available. The post-analytical phase involves taking quality technical results and providing the means for clinical interpretation in the report. Reference intervals are commonly used as a basis for data interpretation; however, laboratories vary in the reference intervals they use, even when analysis is similar. Reference intervals may have greater clinical value if they are both optimised to account for physiological individuality, as well as if they are harmonised through professional consensus. Clinical decision limits are generally superior to reference intervals as a basis for interpretation because they address the specific clinical concern in any patient. As well as providing quality data and interpretation, the knowledge of laboratory experts can be used to provide targeted procedural knowledge in a patient report. Most profoundly critically abnormal results should to be acted upon to minimise the risk of mortality. The three steps in quality report interpretation, (i) describing the abnormal data, (ii) interpreting the clinical information within that data and (iii) providing knowledge for clinical follow-up, highlight that the quality of all laboratory testing is reflected in its impact on clinical management and improving patient outcomes.