Quality of interpretative commenting on common clinical chemistry results in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa
-
Samuel D. Vasikaran
Abstract
Background: Interpretative commenting is an important activity of the clinical diagnostic laboratory. We describe a study of interpretative commenting abilities among senior laboratory professionals in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa.
Methods: Five sets of laboratory results reflecting common and important problems encountered in clinical chemistry were distributed at 4-weekly intervals to 31 registered participants from countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa. Participants were asked to attach an interpretative comment to the results assuming that the requesting doctor had asked for an interpretation of the result.
Results: Twelve pathologists and 19 scientists from seven countries registered to participate and the overall reply rate was ∼50% for the five cases. The quality of the comments returned by participants was diverse and some reflected incorrect or misleading interpretation and advice.
Conclusions: While interpretative commenting is an important laboratory activity, the results of this study suggest that there is room for improvement in the quality of interpretative comments offered by senior laboratory professionals, even for commonly reported results relating to most prevalent and important public health conditions. Interpretative commenting should be formally taught during training of pathologists and scientists, and continuing professional development in this area is required for the provision of a quality interpretative service.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:963–70.
©2009 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Hemolysis index: quality indicator or criterion for sample rejection?
- Review
- Neutrophil CD64: a diagnostic marker for infection and sepsis
- Genetics and Molecular Diagnostics
- Chromosome 9p21 polymorphism is associated with myocardial infarction but not with clinical outcome in Han Chinese
- Differential expression of microRNAs in the placentae of Chinese patients with severe pre-eclampsia
- Clinical, biochemical, and genetic analysis of a Korean neonate with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1
- General Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
- Multicenter evaluation of the hemolysis index in automated clinical chemistry systems
- Haemolysis index – an estimate of preanalytical quality in primary health care
- Evaluation of the Innovance D-DIMER analytical performance
- Heterophile antibodies may falsely increase or decrease thyroglobulin measurement in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma
- Variation of barrier permeability for albumin and immunoglobulin G influx into cerebrospinal fluid
- Anti-citrullinated protein antibody and rheumatoid factor in patients with end-stage renal disease
- Reference Values and Biological Variations
- Quality of interpretative commenting on common clinical chemistry results in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa
- Analysis and interpretation of drug testing results from patients on chronic pain therapy: a clinical laboratory perspective
- Cancer Diagnostics
- HER1-4 protein concentrations in normal breast tissue from breast cancer patients are expressed by the same profile as in the malignant tissue
- Comparison of fifteen immunoassays for the measurement of serum MUC-1/CA 15-3 in breast cancer patients
- Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and conventional tumor markers (CEA and CA 19-9) in patients with colorectal and gastric cancers
- Unstimulated high sensitive thyroglobulin measurement predicts outcome of differentiated thyroid carcinoma
- Relationship of serum antioxidant micronutrients and sociodemographic factors to cervical neoplasia: a case-control study
- Letters to the Editor
- Clinical efficacy of two cardiac troponin I assays
- Impeded centrifugation in plasmocytoma serum
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Hemolysis index: quality indicator or criterion for sample rejection?
- Review
- Neutrophil CD64: a diagnostic marker for infection and sepsis
- Genetics and Molecular Diagnostics
- Chromosome 9p21 polymorphism is associated with myocardial infarction but not with clinical outcome in Han Chinese
- Differential expression of microRNAs in the placentae of Chinese patients with severe pre-eclampsia
- Clinical, biochemical, and genetic analysis of a Korean neonate with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1
- General Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
- Multicenter evaluation of the hemolysis index in automated clinical chemistry systems
- Haemolysis index – an estimate of preanalytical quality in primary health care
- Evaluation of the Innovance D-DIMER analytical performance
- Heterophile antibodies may falsely increase or decrease thyroglobulin measurement in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma
- Variation of barrier permeability for albumin and immunoglobulin G influx into cerebrospinal fluid
- Anti-citrullinated protein antibody and rheumatoid factor in patients with end-stage renal disease
- Reference Values and Biological Variations
- Quality of interpretative commenting on common clinical chemistry results in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa
- Analysis and interpretation of drug testing results from patients on chronic pain therapy: a clinical laboratory perspective
- Cancer Diagnostics
- HER1-4 protein concentrations in normal breast tissue from breast cancer patients are expressed by the same profile as in the malignant tissue
- Comparison of fifteen immunoassays for the measurement of serum MUC-1/CA 15-3 in breast cancer patients
- Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and conventional tumor markers (CEA and CA 19-9) in patients with colorectal and gastric cancers
- Unstimulated high sensitive thyroglobulin measurement predicts outcome of differentiated thyroid carcinoma
- Relationship of serum antioxidant micronutrients and sociodemographic factors to cervical neoplasia: a case-control study
- Letters to the Editor
- Clinical efficacy of two cardiac troponin I assays
- Impeded centrifugation in plasmocytoma serum
