European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)
Website link: www.efcclm.eu
The European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory
Medicine (EFLM) was formed by the merger of FESCC (Forum of
European Societies of Clinical Chemistry) and EC4 (European
Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry) in 2007. EFLM
connects National Societies of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory
Medicine and creates a platform for all specialists working in the
field in Europe. The mission of EFLM is to enhance patient care and
improve outcomes by promoting and improving the scientific,
professional and clinical aspects of clinical chemistry and
laboratory medicine and to ensure effective representation of
laboratory medicine both at European Union level and to other
pan-European and sub-regional bodies. EFLM represents IFCC in
Europe.
All member societies of IFCC in Europe may become members of
EFLM. The President/Chair and one national representative of member
societies form the General Assembly which is the main governing
body of EFLM. The General Assembly of EFLM convenes at least once
every two years. Non-IFCC societies may obtain provisional
membership for three years, provided that they apply for IFCC
membership in the meantime. The General Assembly can decide to
accept as an Affiliate Member into the EFLM a national association
of a European country or another organization active in the field
of laboratory medicine which has applied for such status. EFLM is
domiciled in Milan where its office is also maintained in
collaboration with IFCC.
Current (Full) membership of EFLM comprises the national
societies of the following 38 countries: Albania, Austria,
Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukraine (USCLD).
EFLM has 1 Affiliate Member: Ukraine (UCCLMU) and 1 Provisional
Member: Kosovo.
The operational structure of EFLM consists of an Executive Board
(EB) and five Committees (C) which carry out their tasks via
Working Groups (WG) and Project Groups (PG). Officers of the EB
(president, past-president, president elect, secretary, treasurer
and two members-at-large) are elected by the General Assembly for
2-year terms. In the current EB the following countries are
represented: United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Germany, The
Netherlands and Czech Republic.
Membership and corresponding membership in Cs, WGs and PGs is by
application and open to nominations by national societies.
The main activities of EFLM relate to education, research,
development of the profession, requirements for competence, quality
and accreditation of laboratories, organisation of congresses, and
publications. EFLM has five Committees:
- Science (C-S)
- Quality Management (C-QM)
- Profession (C-P)
- Education and Training (C-ET)
- Public and Professional Relations (C-PPR)
The Public and Professional Relations Committee
(C-PPR) is responsible for communicating EFLM's activities
and results to its membership, related partner organizations and
the public via EFLM's website (www.efcclm.eu) and Newsletter. The
Committee also supports the work of the European editorial board of
LabTests Online which, in collaboration with EDMA, provides
information to European patients on laboratory testing in Czech,
English, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, and Spanish
languages. Other European language versions, such as in French and
Portuguese are in preparation. The official scientific journal of
EFLM is Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM).
The Science Committee (C-S) focuses on
promotion of research that translates the scientific results of
laboratory medicine to clinical applications and improves patient
outcomes through the appropriate use and interpretation of
laboratory data in clinical practice. The Committee currently has
WGs on:
- Cardiac Markers (WG-CM) which investigates, via European
surveys, how the reporting, interpretation and useof cardiac
markers impact on patient outcomes in different countries.
- Biological Variation (WG-BV) which explores the sources of
variation in and develops a critical appraisal checklist for papers
on biological variation.
- Guidelines (WG-G) for the laboratory investigation and
management of various conditions based on best practice.
- Test Evaluation (WG-TE) which sets standards and develops
practical tools for designing research studies for the evaluation
of the clinical value and impact of new biomarkers.
- Postanalytical external quality assurance (WG-P-EQAS) which
carries out international surveys amongst general practitioners and
investigates how doctors use and interpret laboratory tests
commonly used for managing patients in primary care.
- Preanalytical Phase (WG-PA) which aims to promote the
importance of the quality of the preanalytical phase of laboratory
medicine by carrying questionnaires for assessing the current
practices related to some pre-analytical variables and defining the
best practices for some critical activities in the preanalytical
phase.
The Quality Management Committee (C-QM)
supports the establishment of effective accreditation schemes and
quality management systems in all European countries and liaises
with ISO, CEN and the European Accreditation body (EA). The
Committee currently has two WGs on:
- Accreditation and ISO/CEN (WG-WG-A/IS), which represents EFCC
in EA, ISO TC212 and CEN TC140. The WG focuses on influencing
ISO/CEN standards and harmonisation of accreditation by
international surveys, education and training of assessors related
to specific professional standards of ISO 15189 and on setting
European procedures for accreditation according to the flexible
scope.
- IVD Directive (WG-IVD), focusing on the provision of guidelines
and guidance documents for the application of the Directive in
laboratory practice and during accreditation of laboratories.
The Education and Training Committee (C-ET) has
general responsibility for the postgraduate training aspects of the
work of EFLM, in liaison with the Congress and Conferences Division
and the Education and Management Division of IFCC, and also with
UEMS. The Committee organizes regional and sub-regional
conferences, workshops and postgraduate continuing education
courses in association with relevant national societies. The
Committee operates two WGs:
- Congresses and Postgraduate Education (WG-CPE),which is
involved in the organization of EFLM-UEMS European Joint Congress,
Euromedlab, in collaboration with IFCC; joint European conferences
with national societies and sub-regional organizations, such as the
annual EFLM Symposium for the Balkan region. It is also responsible
for organizing the annual EFLM Continuous Postgraduate Course in
Dubrovnik on specific clinical topics, and the Euro-regional
scientific educational program involving universities in
Aachen-Liege-Maastricht.
- Distance education and e-learning (WG-DE),with the first
initiative being the EFLM/Bio-Rad Videoconference on Quality
Management held in Paris in 2009, and the latter in Lisbon in 2010.
Since then, WG-DE has also launched several webinars.
The Professional Committee (C-P) is responsible
for matters of professional regulation and certification (via the
EC4 EurClinChem Register), and the promotion of the profession in
Europe at government level, and to patients and clinical users. It
liaises with CEPLIS (European Council of the Liberal Professions)
and the European Commission on professional matters, and takes the
lead in developing pan-European professional and ethical standards.
It also liaises with UEMS (The European Union of Medical
Specialists) on the roles and responsibilities of medical and
scientific practitioners of the discipline. The Committee currently
has a permanent Working Group, the EC4Register Commission. This
operates the (EC4) Register of European Specialists in Clinical
Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine to achieve recognition of
professional qualifications under European Union legislation, based
on the principles of free movement of professionals within Europe.
The EC4 Register and its finances are independently handled by the
EC4 Foundation, a charitable Trust based in The Netherlands.
Awards. EFLM has two awards:
- The EFLM-Roche Scientific Award for Laboratory Medicineis
awarded every two years to honour an individual from an EFLM member
country who has made unique contributions to the promotion and
understanding of clinical chemistry throughout Europe or who has
made one or more contributions that have had a major impact on
clinical chemistry. The Award consists of a certificate and the sum
of 10,000 CHF.
- The EFLM-Labs Are Vital Award for Excellence in Outcomes
Research in Laboratory Medicineis sponsored by Abbott and will be
presented to the author(s) of the best published paper, as judged
by an independent panel of experts, which demonstrates the
relationship between the application of an in-vitro diagnostic test
or testing strategy and clinical and/or economic outcomes. The
award was presented for the first time at IFCC/EuroMedLab 2011 in
Berlin and will thereafter be presented every two years at an EFLM
conference. The Award consists of a certificate and the sum of
15,000 Euros.
EFLM collaborates with sub-regional professional organizations
in the Balkan, Nordic and Alps-Adriatic region. A memorandum of
understanding between EFLM and IFCC formalizes the relationship
between the two Federations. EFLM has no Corporate membership, but
seeks partnership with EDMA and members of the IVD industry in
setting up various projects that support the development of the
profession in Europe.
Currently EFLM has formalized its collaboration with American
Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC), IVD Industry Connectivity
Consortium (ICC), EDMA, Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
Journal (CCLM) and The European co-operation for Accreditation
(EA).
EFLM is keen to set up even wider collaboration with sister
Federations in order to harmonize scientific, educational and
professional efforts in a complementary fashion, so that laboratory
and health care professionals enjoy the benefits of such a
collaboration both in the Euro-region and worldwide.
EFLM President:
Dr. Ian WATSON
Department Clinical Biochemistry
University Hospital Aintree
Longmoor Lane
L9 7AL Liverpool, United Kingdom
E-Mail: ian.watson@aintree.nhs.uk