Objective Criteria for Partitioning Gaussian-distributed Reference Values into Subgroups

作者：Ari Lahti, Per Hyltoft Petersen, James C. Boyd, Callum G. Fraser, Nils B. Jørgensen · 发表于：Clinical Chemistry · 年份：2002 · DOI：10.1093/clinchem/48.2.338 · 被引用次数：135 · 研究领域：Reliability and Agreement in Measurement、Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference、Clinical Laboratory Practices and Quality Control

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop new and useful criteria for partitioning reference values into subgroups applicable to gaussian distributions and to distributions that can be transformed to gaussian distributions. METHODS: The proposed criteria relate to percentages of the subgroups outside each of the reference limits of the combined distribution. Critical values suggested as partitioning criteria for these percentages were derived from analytical bias quality specifications for using common reference intervals throughout a geographic area. As alternative partitioning criteria to the actual percentages, these were transformed mathematically to critical distances between the reference limits of the subgroup distributions, to be applied to each pair of reference limits, the upper and the lower, at a time. The new criteria were tested using data on various plasma proteins collected from approximately 500 reference individuals, and the outcomes were compared with those given by the currently widely applied and recommended partitioning model of Harris and Boyd, the "Harris-Boyd model". RESULTS: We suggest 4.1% as the critical minimum percentage outside that would justify partitioning into subgroups, and 3.2% as the critical maximum percentage outside that would justify combining them. Percentages between these two values should be classified as marginal, implying that nonstatistical considerations are required to make the final decision on partitioning. The corre...