19/08/2025
"Only 1% of labs in India deliver truly high‑quality reports. Here’s why that matters for your health. 🧪⚕️
What a “true quality” report means:
- Accurate, repeatable, and traceable results
- Clear reference ranges and method details
- Reviewed by qualified specialists
- Actionable for your doctor
Why only a few labs meet the bar:
- Rigorous accreditation: ISO 15189/NABL with regular audits and proficiency testing (EQAS). ✅
- Robust QC: daily internal controls, Levey–Jennings charts, Westgard rules, and repeat testing for outliers. 🔬
- Calibrated analyzers and validated methods with traceability (e.g., IFCC, NGSP). ⚙️
- Pre‑analytical discipline: trained phlebotomy, barcoding, proper centrifugation, and cold chain for shipped samples. 🧊
- Strong LIS: delta checks, critical value alerts, and minimal manual entry. 💻
- Population‑appropriate reference intervals by age/sex; method and unit transparency. 📋
- Expert oversight: MD Pathologists/Microbiologists sign‑off and reflex testing when needed. 👩⚕️👨⚕️
Common shortcuts that compromise reports:
- Speed and price over quality controls
- Variable handling at collection centers
- Infrequent controls, poor maintenance, generic reference ranges
How to choose your lab (and protect your results):
- Look for NABL accreditation and verify the number online 🇮🇳
- Ask if they participate in EQAS/proficiency testing
- Check if samples are processed on‑site; if shipped, ask about cold‑chain
- Review reports for method, units, biological reference interval, and sign‑off
- Follow pre‑test prep (fasting, meds, timing) to avoid false results
Your wellness deserves reliable numbers—not just quick ones. Save this post for your next test, share it with someone who needs it, and choose an NABL‑accredited lab. ✅
Have questions about a recent report? Drop them below. We’re here to help. 💬
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