ATA

Professional medical societies frequently use surveys to improve their decision making. When a survey impacts more than one society, cooperation between societies might facil- itate identification of common or disparate priorities, needs, and perceptions, as well as implementation of identified action items.

This document aims to provide a state-of-the-art status report on the progress achieved in thyroid testing, including thyrotropin (TSH), thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3). The target audience for this document includes general practitioners, endocrinologists, and laboratory professionals.

Thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) are the two hormones initially measured in blood to assess hypoand hyperthyroidism and to guide treatment decisions.1–3 Some guidelines and recommendations suggest specific concentrations for these hormones to guide decision making.4 Therefore, accurate and reliable TSH and fT4 tests are needed to ensure correct patient care, making the standardization of thyroid function tests to assess both thyroid gland function and therapeutic drug monitoring a priority.