Why lab report reliability matters in India's healthcare system
Siddhartha Jana
Lab reports play a vital role in guiding health decisions, from diagnoses to treatment plans and lifestyle changes, making their accuracy critical to overall healthcare.
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The accuracy of lab reports can be influenced by multiple factors, including the testing methods used and whether the lab is accredited, both of which significantly impact the results.
Source: Canva
In a country like India, where healthcare standards can vary greatly, ensuring the reliability of lab reports is especially important for maintaining trust in the healthcare system.
Source: Canva
Skewed results are less common in stand-alone labs, but they tend to occur more frequently in hospital-based labs, where pathologists may interpret results based on a patient’s clinical history.
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Certain conditions, such as dehydration, can temporarily skew lab results by elevating certain parameters. Once the underlying issue is addressed, these results often normalize, highlighting the importance of pre-analytical checks.
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NABL-accredited labs follow rigorous standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure accuracy, including the daily monitoring of control tests and preventive maintenance of machines to avoid errors.
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Sink tests, which occur in some non-NABL labs, involve samples that are discarded without actual testing, leading to fake reports. This practice compromises the reliability of the lab’s results.
Source: Canva
NABL accreditation is crucial for ensuring a lab’s credibility, as it enforces stringent quality control measures, and patients are encouraged to choose NABL-accredited labs for more accurate and trustworthy blood tests.