EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT SCHEMES IN BIOMEDICAL FIELD: FROM DEFINITION OF TARGETS TO END USERS

摘要

Continuous development of scientific knowledge over the last century has brought changesin the field of public health (including veterinary public health) with dramatic improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human pathologies. A large part of these improvements is based on the increased ability to measure quantities that are related to human and animal health. To support the growing needs of care and prevention, measurements are carried out in various fields: from fundamental research and development, where measurements support the understanding of physio-pathological processes aimed to the development of new diagnostic and treatment methods, to the implementation of current regulations, based on compliance with stated concentrations, aimed to limit human and animal exposure to potentially toxic agents, to clinical care, where measurement results are often an essential part of the decision process toward diagnosis and treatment of pathologies (Table 1).