Quantity quotient reporting versus z-value for standardizing quantitative laboratory results

Abstract: The rapid increase to digitalize whatever is possible in human lives will lead to electronic storage of medical data probably during the whole life of most individuals. This requires standardization and condensation of an enormous amount of data. Most laboratory data are already reported in digitalized form, but they are far from being sufficiently standardized. Several attempts for standardization have been suggested. The most common standardizing approach is the z-transformation of laboratory data. It is proposed to modify the z-value to a quantity quotient in analogy to the intelligence quotient well known even to laymen.