Bias, the unfinished symphony

Abstract

In laboratory medicine, mathematical equations are frequently used to calculate various parameters including bias, imprecision, measurement uncertainty, sigma metric (SM), creatinine clearance, LDL-cholesterol concentration, etc. Mathematical equations have strict limitations and cannot be used in all situations and are not open to manipulations. Recently, a paper “Bias estimation for Sigma metric calculation: Arithmetic mean versus quadratic mean” was published in Biochemia Medica. In the paper, the author criticized the approach of taking the arithmetic mean of the multiple biases to obtain a single bias and proposed a quadratic method to estimate the overall bias using external quality assurance services (EQAS) data for SM calculation. This approach does not fit the purpose and it should be noted that using the correct equation in calculations is as important as using the correct reagent in the measurement of the analytes, therefore before using an equation, its suitability should be checked and confirmed.