A laboratory scientist measures prothrombin time for plasma aliquots from 15 healthy males and 15 healthy females. She computes the mean and 95.5% confidence interval and notes that they duplicate the manufacturer's statistics within 5%. This procedure is known as:

Establishing the reference interval by transference involves comparing the results from a new population (in this case, the healthy males and females) to an established reference interval or manufacturer's statistics. The fact that the measured prothrombin time falls within 5% of the manufacturer's statistics indicates that the laboratory scientist is verifying that her measured results for this specific population are aligned with established benchmarks. This approach often relies on previously validated data to create a reference range that can be applied to the same or similar testing conditions when direct data collection is not feasible.

This method is particularly useful in situations where direct measurement from various demographic or clinical groups may not be practical. Instead of developing an entirely new reference interval based solely on the new data, the scientist effectively "transfers" the existing reference interval to ensure consistency and reliability in her results. Thus, the use of established reference ranges allows for efficient quality control and enhances the accuracy of hematological assessments.