Maintaining Rounding Tables

• Maintaining Rounding Tables
  • Rounding Table Scope
  • Use of Rounding Tables
  • Properties of a Rounding Table
    • Creation and Maintenance
    • Dependencies for using Rounding Tables

A rounding table defines the rules and display masks that are applied to round and present analytical results on a certificate report.

Rounding includes the ability to convert results to other units, as required, can be set to increase or decrease a numeric final result to a specified figure or decimal place, and can use ISO rounding rules.

Due to instruments already being pretty precise, it is up to the user to decide what decimal point rounding is important for their laboratory.

Rounding Table Scope

Rounding tables are created either with org-scope or lab-scope. An organisation or laboratory can contain multiple rounding tables.

Use of Rounding Tables

The rounding and formatting of results allows for more efficient analysis of results, removing the need for laboratory staff to apply manual rounding and formatting to results. This leaves the original analytical unit in un-rounded state, but produces a correctly formatted result when reported.

Rounding tables define the rules and display masks used to apply rounding definitions to analytical results in CCLAS, and in reports generated in CCLAS.

Rounding tables are assigned to scheme version analytes so that a sample scheme analyte's Lower Detection Limit, Upper Detection Limit and Numeric Final Result can be rounded and placed on a report.

Due to analytical precision, it is up to the laboratory to determine the decimal point rounding that matters to them. Analytical instruments are extremely precise, so the laboratory needs to define the decimal point rounding that is appropriate. Scientifically, there are many rounding algorithms, and rounding is not only up or down. The result values are rounded and formatted so that better understanding of the reported results is possible (while still keeping the original numeric results available).

Rounding includes the ability to Use ISO Rounding, Round Then Compare With DL, display lower than detection limit results with a Lower Limit String, or higher than detection limit results with an Upper Limit String, report results in a given Report Unit Code, and to determine any unit conversion via the Convert Unit To Code, the Report Display Mask and Increment based upon whether the input reportable result has its report lower detection limit less than or equal to the Result Detection Limit and the input reportable result is less than or equal to the Result Ceiling.

Properties of a Rounding Table

Rules and display masks may be applied in the rounding table to instruct the system on the way that the rounding is presented for the results of analysis (on analytical reports). These rules may include the use of ISO rounding and the conversion of results to other units, including conversion by scripts. Display masks provide instruction on the formatting of results on a report, for each result and unit type applicable.

Rounding method types are required to be assigned to scheme version analytes if they are intended to be reported. Rounding method types can be:

• None—There is no rounding applied to the results, and they are reported as they are entered.
• Table—The results are rounded by way of the lookup and definitions recorded in the rounding tables.

  The rounding table that is used for a specific analyte can be changed within the job as well as changed within a specific report request.

• Mask—The results are formatted purely by the use of a simple expression mask that is defined on the scheme version analyte. This mask cannot be changed on the job nor on the report request.
• Script—The results are formatted by a specific script that can be written and executed during the rounding phases of the reporting.

Creation and Maintenance

Rounding tables are managed using the CCRNDT—Rounding Table application, which is also accessed using the Analysis Setup » Rounding Tables.

A rounding table code is the only mandatory entry required to create a rounding table, however, it is recommended that as much detail is incorporated as possible in each rounding table record.

Dependencies for using Rounding Tables

Whilst rounding tables can be created as entities in their own right, they must be linked to other records in the system in order to be applied.

A scheme version analyte can be linked to a rounding table to provide a default rounding mechanism for results for that analyte.

When a sample scheme analyte is created, its rounding table defaults to the related scheme version analyte's rounding table, however this can be changed to allow for a different rounding mechanism for the analyte within that sample.

When a report request is created and the sample scheme analyte included on that report request, the sample scheme analyte's rounding table defaults to the related sample scheme analyte's rounding table, however this can be changed in the report request to allow for a different rounding mechanism for the analyte just on reports raised from that report request.

When a report is generated, any numeric final value for the analyte is rounded according to the rounding method defined by the master scheme version analyte, and if the rounding method is by rounding table, then the rounding table from the report request is used to round the numeric final value to provide the formatted final value.