Standardization of diagnostic materials. 1. Diagnostic materials for clinical analysis.

Standardization of diagnostic materials has lagged behind their development and application. The need to improve the accuracy of the results obtained with them has stimulated collaborative efforts to upgrade the quality of the reagents, control materials, and standards used, with the result that specifications for reagents and standards and authoritative standard materials are now available for a number of clinical tests. Achievements thus far and the efforts now in progress are reviewed.