Goals for clinical biochemistry analytical imprecision: a graphic approach.

Analytical performance standards for the imprecision of commonly requested clinical biochemistry tests are proposed in the form of goal graphs. The goals delineated in graphic form are a consensus of published performance standards. The graphs define acceptable and unacceptable performance standards for levels of analyte commonly encountered in clinical laboratory practice. The graphic approach allows a flexible presentation of goals that is easy to interpret. The disadvantage of goal graphs is their necessarily empirical foundation.