Principles of biomedical RMs and methods

Reference materials and methods are essential components of a system for long-term monitoring of the performance of biomedical routine methods. They facilitate the introduction of predetermined analytical performance criteria, aimed at improving the comparability and the biomedical relevance of a result. Such measures should also result in improved cost-benefit ratios for investigations, individually or in combinations. An integrated system for quality assessment of biomedical investigations in clinical laboratory sciences has emerged as a result of world-wide efforts over the last decades and is briefly reviewed.