From blood tests to mammograms, doctors need reliable measurements to make informed decisions about their patients’ health and deliver safe treatments. That’s why the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) serves as an important partner to health professionals and their patients nationwide. Let’s highlight just a few ways in which our measurement science is critical in medicine.

Accurate diagnostics

Blood work and urine tests help doctors evaluate a variety of health concerns. 

But imagine going to one doctor for testing and getting one result, then going to another and getting a wholly different one.

In the U.S. that’s rarely an issue anymore, thanks in large part to NIST’s standard reference material (SRM) program. SRMs are precisely measured materials that labs and manufacturers use to ensure that their devices are calibrated and functioning properly. 

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