CASE STUDY
Analyse-it® Cuts Project Time in Half at Swiss Lab
“Analyse-it has a tremendous advantage in its ease of use. With other programs,
you really have to study how to use them, but Analyse-it makes it so easy, and at
the same time offers the advanced procedures we need like Weighted Deming regression.”
Marco Balerna Ph.D., Clinical Chemistry Department, EOC
When a division of the Swiss laboratory EOC decided to change its analyzers, it
was not as simple as moving equipment in and out.
The regional laboratory for Ticino, the southernmost Canton of Switzerland, provides
clinical chemistry for five large hospitals and three smaller clinics. In 2008,
the lab decided to transition to Beckman Coulter machines for clinical chemistry
and immunological assays.
“In Switzerland, because of the accreditation procedures, we’re rather demanding
regarding the quality of machines, so we needed to perform method comparison studies,”
said Marco Balerna, Clinical Chemistry Department, EOC. “It’s months and months
of work.”
That meant comparing performance for 110-115 parameters, comprising over 25,600
measurements with control materials and patients’ samples.
Advanced Method Comparision
Approaching the project, Balerna looked beyond the complex statistical package the
lab regularly uses, instead seeking an easier-to-use alternative specifically designed
for method evaluation. He chose Analyse-it method evaluation software for its ease
of use, compatibility with Microsoft Excel and competitive pricing.
“Analyse-it has a tremendous advantage in its ease of use,” he said. “With other
programs, you really have to study how to use them, but Analyse-it makes it so easy,
and at the same time offers the advanced procedures we need like Weighted Deming
regression.”
He quickly found he uses nearly every method comparison procedure available in the
software – Deming regression, Weighted Deming regression and Passing & Bablok regression.
“Those procedures are absolutely mandatory for us,” Balerna said. “We also have
many other possibilities in Analyse-it with parametric and non-parametric statistics,
including 2-may ANOVA, correlation and linear regression.”
Analyse-it is one of the only programs enabling Weighted Deming regression – critical
to proper comparison of methods with non-constant precision over the measurement
range.
Fast, Simple, Accurate
Analyse-it integrates directly with Excel, which takes a lengthy step out of the
analysis process. With values already in Excel, Balerna analyzes the data rapidly
in Analyse-it.
In the past, when he needed to fix an error in the original data, or if he wished
to add new data, Balerna would have to re-do every analysis. Now, he enters just
the corrected value in Analyse-it and “refreshes” the results, updating the reports
to reflect the changes in his data. “Every time, the refresh button is a surprise
and an enormous help. It’s a pleasure actually,” he said. “If I had to re-do everything,
it would take a lot more time.”
After using a complex statistical program for many years, Balerna wanted to ensure
that Analyse-it provided the level of accuracy the lab required.
“I was very attached to our classical statistics program, but Analyse-it is particularly
well-performing,” Balerna said. “We compared the results of Analyse-it with the
other program, and they compared perfectly.”
He also estimates that the simplicity of using Analyse-it helped him reduce the
overall amount of time required for the project, cutting two months out of the method
evaluation process. Ultimately, that reduced the project time by half.
Preparing Presentations
With this specific project now complete, Balerna will present the findings to Beckman
Coulter International at a conference in Geneva. Analyse-it simplifies creating
the graphics he needs for the conference and reports for day-to-day work with colleagues.
The software’s formatted reports enable him to print the analysis results immediately,
or copy and paste charts and statistics into other documents. He can control just
about any aspect of the graphical presentation as desired, creating clear, concise
plots. Charts are based on the most popular formats seen in published research,
and so are immediately ready for inclusion in research.
Looking Ahead
With the success of the comparison project, EOC has integrated Analyse-it into its
daily method comparison activities. In particular, Balerna feels that Analyse-it
will significantly ease evaluation for team members new to the field or lacking
statistical backgrounds. The familiar Excel environment reduces the learning curve
of the software.
“Analyse-it is so much easier for someone entering the field,” Balerna said. “Every
time I use it, it goes so rapidly and precisely. That’s the real advantage.”
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