What is the purpose of a delta check in laboratory automation?

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Delta check compares a patient’s current result with their most recent prior result for the same test, and it flags a change that exceeds a predefined threshold. This helps catch situations where a result might be erroneous due to a sample mix-up, mislabeled specimen, data entry error, instrument drift, or an unexpected but real clinical change. In practice, when the difference is larger than the allowed delta, a technologist reviews the result before reporting it. This safety net is not about calibrating instruments (which uses controls and standards), nor about verifying patient identity (which relies on correct IDs and barcodes), nor about scheduling redraws (a phlebotomy workflow decision).