LABORATORY MEDICINE CUSTOMIZED

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: MED SC-M 810 , 811 , 812 , and 813 Course Designation: Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Define and apply the concepts of sensitivity and specificity. Audience: Graduate 2. Define and apply negative and positive predictive value. Explain how these values are influenced by the prevalence (prior probability) of disease in defined populations (Bayes theorem). Audience: Graduate 3. Describe how reference intervals are derived and used and the different types of reference intervals including those derived from population distributions, from expert consensus recommendation, or from evidence-based determination of “threshold” values based on a test’s predictive value in a clinical algorithm. Audience: Graduate 4. Explain why 5% percent of laboratory test results from healthy individuals might fall outside a reference range. Audience: Graduate 5. Explain the concept of variability in repeated measurements, as well as variability within and between individuals. Audience: Graduate 6. Describe the contributors to analytical uncertainty (precision, accuracy, bias, coefficient of variation) and how the sources of variability relate to clinical interpretation of changes in test results. Audience: Graduate 7. Discuss the consequences of ordering unnecessary testing. Audience: Graduate 8. Explain the roles of preanalytical and postanalytical variables in affecting test results and thereby impacting patient care. Audience: Graduate 9. List common sources of preanalytical errors. Audience: Graduate 10. Describe the effects of blood-drawing technique on test results. Audience: Graduate 11. Compare and contrast the use of specimen tubes with various colored tops, as well as other specimen containers, and why they cannot be used interchangeably. Audience: Graduate 12. Describe the broad categories of situations that may result in test interference such as incomplete tube fill, hemolysis, lipemia, bilirubinemia, cross-reacting and interfering substances. Audience: Graduate 13. List some important limitations and pitfalls of common lab tests. Audience: Graduate 14. Explain the Choosing Wisely campaign. Present one Choosing Wisely recommendation in depth while explaining its components, rationale, evidence, and arguments for and against. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Define and apply the concepts of sensitivity and specificity. Audience: Graduate 2. Define and apply negative and positive predictive value. Explain how these values are influenced by the prevalence (prior probability) of disease in defined populations (Bayes theorem). Audience: Graduate 3. Describe how reference intervals are derived and used and the different types of reference intervals including those derived from population distributions, from expert consensus recommendation, or from evidence-based determination of “threshold” values based on a test’s predictive value in a clinical algorithm. Audience: Graduate 4. Explain why 5% percent of laboratory test results from healthy individuals might fall outside a reference range. Audience: Graduate 5. Explain the concept of variability in repeated measurements, as well as variability within and between individuals. Audience: Graduate 6. Describe the contributors to analytical uncertainty (precision, accuracy, bias, coefficient of variation) and how the sources of variability relate to clinical interpretation of changes in test results. Audience: Graduate 7. Discuss the consequences of ordering unnecessary testing. Audience: Graduate 8. Explain the roles of preanalytical and postanalytical variables in affecting test results and thereby impacting patient care. Audience: Graduate 9. List common sources of preanalytical errors. Audience: Graduate 10. Describe the effects of blood-drawing technique on test results. Audience: Graduate 11. Compare and contrast the use of specimen tubes with various colored tops, as well as other specimen containers, and why they cannot be used interchangeably. Audience: Graduate 12. Describe the broad categories of situations that may result in test interference such as incomplete tube fill, hemolysis, lipemia, bilirubinemia, cross-reacting and interfering substances. Audience: Graduate 13. List some important limitations and pitfalls of common lab tests. Audience: Graduate 14. Explain the Choosing Wisely campaign. Present one Choosing Wisely recommendation in depth while explaining its components, rationale, evidence, and arguments for and against. Audience: Graduate