Quality control should primarily be performed to ensure what aspect?

Quality control is fundamentally aimed at ensuring the reliability of laboratory results. In the context of medical technology, reliability refers to the ability of a test to produce consistent and dependable results over time. This involves not only the precision of the results (how closely repeated measurements agree with each other) but also their accuracy (how close the measurements are to the true value).

When a laboratory implements quality control measures, it helps to minimize variability and error, ensuring that the tests performed are trustworthy and can be relied upon for making critical clinical decisions. By focusing on reliability, quality control encompasses both the precision and accuracy of the testing process.

In contrast, while accuracy, precision, and traceability are all important aspects of laboratory testing, they are specific elements that contribute to the broader concept of reliability. For example, accuracy pertains to correctness of results, precision relates to the reproducibility of tests, and traceability involves the ability to trace results back to standard reference materials or methods. Thus, ensuring reliability through quality control is vital for maintaining confidence in laboratory results.