Target Value Guidelines
Target Value
Each specimen's Target value is the reference point against which all non-target instrument results are compared. How the target is calculated depends on whether a target instrument has been designated:
Target (designated target instrument)
Target = Median of all measurements from target-designated instruments for that specimen
When one or more instruments are marked as the target (reference standard), the target value for each specimen is the median of all results from those designated instruments. This is the most common configuration when a gold-standard or reference instrument exists in the fleet.
Target (no designated target instrument)
Target = Median of all instrument measurements for that specimen
When no instrument is designated as the target, the target value for each specimen is the median of all instruments in the study. This peer-group approach is appropriate when no single instrument serves as a known reference standard and consensus agreement across the fleet is the objective.