Evaluation of a laboratory system intended for use in physicians' offices. I. Reliability of results produced by trained laboratory technologists.

The accuracy and precision of the Kodak DT-60 tabletop chemistry analyzer were evaluated in the clinical laboratory at the Portland (Ore) Veterans Administration Medical Center, and its operational throughout and cost were estimated. All DT-60 tests that were studied exhibited clinically acceptable precision and, except for the glucose method, accuracy. The accuracy of the glucose method was indeterminate with the available data. Throughput under field conditions was found to be less than half of the manufacturer's claim. The estimated supply cost per test could vary from $1.20 to $5.49 per test, depending on the test type and the number of assays expected to be performed daily. The instrument seems to be accurate, precise, and generally reliable when operated by professional medical technologists.