The hierarchy of the document
A report has three levels, and they carry different amounts of meaning. Reading them in the wrong order is the source of most confusion.
- The practitioner summary. Read this first. It is the only part written by a person who looked at everything together.
- The system overview. Read this second, looking for patterns across related systems rather than for the highest number.
- The category detail. Read this last, and only for the systems the summary actually discussed. Reading the detail cold is how people frighten themselves over software labels.
What the scale means
NLS software places each entry on an ordered scale, commonly six positions, from a stable reading to a maximally deviant one. The scale describes distance from a reference pattern during that session. It does not describe severity, progression, or risk.
| Position | What it literally means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Low (1–2) | The reading sat close to the reference pattern. | Not a clean bill of health. |
| Middle (3–4) | The reading sat some distance from it. | Not an early warning, and not a stage. |
| High (5–6) | The reading sat far from it. | Not a detected condition, and not urgency. |
The five common misreadings
- Treating a label as a finding. Software libraries name reference patterns using clinical vocabulary. A matched pattern is not a detected condition and QMH reports do not present it as one.
- Chasing the single highest number. An isolated outlier surrounded by low readings is usually noise. Related categories moving together is the only pattern worth weight.
- Reading a low score as all-clear. The instrument cannot rule anything out. Absence of a flag is not absence of a problem.
- Comparing sessions run under different conditions. Trends are only interesting when the sessions are comparable. A session run during illness, travel or acute stress is not a fair comparison point.
- Acting on it. Starting a supplement, stopping a medication or changing a treatment because of a score is the one thing this document must never be used for.
Reading trends across sessions
Multi-session packages plot the same categories over time. A category that moves steadily in one direction across several comparable sessions is more interesting than any single reading.
It is still not evidence of a cause. If a category settles after you changed your sleep, the report cannot tell you the sleep caused it. Two things moved together; that is all a trend line shows.
When to stop reading and call a doctor
These are medical questions. No wellness report addresses them, and no score should be weighed against them.
- Chest pain, pressure, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw.
- Sudden weakness, numbness, facial droop, confusion, or difficulty speaking or seeing.
- Unexplained weight loss, persistent fever, or night sweats.
- Bleeding that is unexplained, including blood in urine or stool, or coughing blood.
- A new lump, a mole that is changing, or a sore that does not heal.
- Severe or worsening pain, or a headache that is the worst you have had.
- Any symptom that frightens you, whatever the report says.
Useful questions for your practitioner
- Which of these would you actually pay attention to, and which would you disregard?
- Is this pattern common in people with my routine, or is it unusual?
- What would you expect to see in three months if nothing changes?
- Is there anything here that belongs with a doctor rather than with you?
- What would have to appear for you to tell me this service is not useful for me?
Questions people ask before booking
A 6 means the reading sat far from the software’s reference pattern during that session. It is not a diagnosis and not a severity grade. Ask your practitioner what they make of it, and if you have a symptom, raise the symptom with a doctor.
No. The report cannot detect disease and therefore cannot exclude it. Low scores are not reassurance and are never a reason to skip screening or ignore a symptom.
Session-to-session variation is expected and has no established reliability figure. That is one reason single readings are treated lightly and patterns are treated with more interest.
No. QMH reports do not tie scores to products, dosages or protocols, and a score is not a basis for starting or stopping anything.