What People Know vs. What They Should Know About Laboratory Reference Ranges

Laboratory test results are increasingly available to health consumers. Almost all test results are accompanied by a reference range to aid in interpretation. This study asked 25 non-healthcare providers to explain the term reference range. The descriptions highlighted four principal themes: health consumers were unsure about their understanding of the term reference range; they equated a reference range with a normal range; few had some degree of awareness of the limitations of reference ranges; and few had limited awareness of the difference between a reference range and clinical cutoff. Further efforts should be made to educate health consumers on the utility and limitations of reference ranges. When providing results to health consumers, laboratories should consider including other means of contextualizing test results in order to support their understanding of potential clinical significance.