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Technical Accuracy

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Abstract

Temperature is a measure of the hotness or coldness of an object, where hot has a higher ‘temperature’ than cold. The measurement of temperature is a well-established field of metrology (measurement science), which broadly divides into two practical methods of implementation: contact and non-contact thermometry. Technical accuracy includes different terms. Calibration is the process of attributing a traceable temperature to the output of a thermometer by comparison to a standard source. The traceability is ensured when measurement can be demonstrably related to a common standard. Clinical thermometers can be of two main types: direct mode or adjusted mode. Other factors affecting measurement performance are, for example, time response and measurement site. There are different types of clinical thermometers available for body temperature measurement.

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Grodzinsky, E., Sund Levander, M. (2020). Technical Accuracy. In: Grodzinsky, E., Sund Levander, M. (eds) Understanding Fever and Body Temperature. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21886-7_4

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