Local Laboratory Reference Intervals
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Establishing Local Reference Intervals in Blood Sciences at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
IRAS ID
204006
Contact name
Nicola Svenson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Laboratory tests play an important role in the care of patients in the NHS. Laboratory tests are performed on blood samples within a Blood Sciences using many different methods and technologies to assess blood abnormalities. Normal or expected values for each test helps doctors, nurses and clinical teams interpret the results of their patients to help make a diagnosis and/or check out how treatments are progressing.
It is not always easy to get blood samples which are representative of normal healthy people as requests for laboratory tests are usually because patients are being investigated when something is wrong. To define what is a “normal” result, and representative of the local healthy population, blood samples from healthy volunteers are needed to test and set normal ranges so that results can be correctly interpreted. All laboratories are responsible for setting and establishing their own normal ranges for the local population. As new testing techniques, methods or equipment used to test blood samples are implemented in laboratories; new normal ranges need to be set.
The aim is to use the data from the tests from normal healthy volunteers to calculate a “normal” set of results with the fluid of the samples collected being stored for a pre-defined period of time and used at a later date (completely anonymised so individuals cannot be identified) to create or check normal ranges in the future without the need to obtain new samples.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NE/0291
Date of REC Opinion
2 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion