Target Value for Quantitative Tests

Date of Publication:

5/29/2014

Definition:

Either the mean of all participant responses after removal of outliers (those responses greater than 3 standard deviations from the original mean) or the mean established by definitive or reference methods acceptable for use in the National Reference System for the Clinical Laboratory by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; previously known as the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. In instances where definitive or reference methods are not available or a specific method’s results demonstrate bias that is not observed with actual patient specimens, as determined by a defensible scientific protocol, a comparative method or a method group (“peer” group) may be used. If the method group is less than 10 participants, “target value” means the overall mean after outlier removal (as defined above) unless acceptable scientific reasons are available to indicate that such an evaluation is not appropriate.