Unity among the units – a position paper by the DGKL

More than 30 years after German reunification, the units of measurement used for laboratory medical parameters still differ between eastern and western Germany. While the eastern German states predominantly use "SI" units, "conventional" units are common in medical facilities in the western German states. In areas along the former German-German border and in Berlin, there is a mixture of units, especially in institutions that operate across regions. Worldwide, the uniform use of units of measurement has become established, at least at the national level. In this article risks associated with inconsistent units of measurement for laboratory medical parameters were summarized. Opportunities through standardization, development of decision criteria for selecting suitable units of measurement, and drafting of a proposal for standardizing units of measurement are presented. Standardising the units reduces the risk of incorrect treatment due to misinterpreted laboratory findings - in particular through secure communication between treating physicians - and leads to greater patient safety. The greater the standardisation of measurement units and the clearer their semantics, the more reliably interoperable processes can be used in the context of digital medicine, including efficient use of electronic patient records. Process optimisations in clinical care as well as the consolidation of laboratories can contribute to a high degree of standardisation. For these reasons, the DGKL working group "Unity in Units" has drafted a recommendation for the Germany-wide use of uniform units of measurement in the presentation of laboratory medical parameters, which is essentially based on international standards.