Reference Value Advisor

Reference Value Advisor is a set of macroinstructions for Excel that compute reference intervals using the standard and robust methods with and without generalized Box-Cox data transformation. It also allows to study the effect of continuous covariates on reference intervals.

It can be freely used.

  • For any series of data presented in an Excel column, the software:
  • computes the limits by the nonparametric method (when n≥40), and by parametric and robust method from native and generalized Box-Cox transformed values;
  • when possible, gives the 90% confidence interval for the two limits. These intervals quantify the imprecision of the reference interval limits;
  • tests the normality of distributions according to Anderson-Darling
  • tests the symmetry of distributions required by the robust method
  • detects possible outliers according to Tukey and to Dixon-Reed tests;
  • shows the distribution of values (dot-plot and histograms) and QQ plots for visual inspection;
  • gives some observations according to EP28

A reference interval can change with covariates (age, weight,…) leading to a reference interval to each value of the covariates (reference bands) instead of a single reference interval.

The software computes:

  • parametric reference bands for continuous covariates
    — with and without Box-Cox transformation
    — for homoscedastic and heteroscedastic models (the length of the reference interval is free to change with the covariates),
  • the confidence intervals for these bands
  • provide a test for the usefulness of the Box-Cox transformation,
  • a graphical validation of the building of such bands
  • nonparametric reference bands for a single covariate (experimental).

If you used this software for your article, do not hesitate to cite the companion paper :

Geffré A, Concordet D, Braun JP, Trumel C.
Reference Value Advisor: a new freeware set of macroinstructions to calculate reference intervals with Microsoft Excel, Vet Clin Pathol. 2011 40(1) 107-112. file available here

Reference Value Advisor V 2.1 is fully compatible with Office 2010 and 2013.

Reference Value Advisor V 2.1 is composed of six files:

  1. A pdf file entitled “Installation Guide” that contains an explanation of the procedure to install the macro. Please, read it carefully.
  2. a pdf file “Reference guide for RefValAdv” explains how to interpret the results given by the macro.
  3. the Excel file “RefValAdvV21” contains all the macros
  4. Example is an example Excel file
  5. Licence is an ASCII file containing the licence.
  6. Corrected bugs is an ASCII file containing the corrected bugs.

These six files are zipped in a single file.

Download Reference Value Advisor V 2.1 (Office 2010-2013)

Download Reference Value Advisor V 2.0 (Office 2010)

Reference Value Advisor V 1.4 (Office 2003)

Last upgrade: december 9th 2015