What kind of controls ensure that results are accurate within the detectability range?

Sensitivity controls are specifically designed to ensure that results fall within an acceptable range of detection and measure the lowest amount of analyte that can be accurately identified by a given assay. They test the limit of detection and confirm the assay's performance in detecting low-level targets, which is essential for achieving accurate results in molecular diagnostics.

In the context of molecular diagnostics, sensitivity controls are vital because they help in determining the effectiveness of the assay in identifying positive cases, especially when the target nucleic acid is present at very low concentrations. Proper implementation of sensitivity controls is crucial because if an assay cannot accurately detect low levels of a target, it may lead to false negatives, which can have serious implications in clinical settings.

Other types of controls, such as reagent controls, positive controls, and negative controls, serve different purposes. Reagent controls validate the integrity of the reagents used, while positive controls are used to ensure that the assay is capable of detecting the target when it is present. Negative controls, on the other hand, help in identifying any contamination or nonspecific reactions. Each of these is important for overall assay reliability, but they do not specifically focus on the capability of detecting results accurately within the detectability range like sensitivity controls do.