Date: 15^th June 2021 at 18:00 CET

Speaker: Dr. Ali Unlu (TR)   Moderator: Dr. Sedat Abusoglu (TR)     Webinar manager: Dr. Oguzhan Zengi (TR)

The health effects of vitamin D were determined on bone health and calcium-phosphate metabolism. The association of vitamin D with many diseases caused a serious increase in scientific articles as well as an increase in analysis in routine laboratory practice. Vitamin D analysis, which is increasingly emphasized with both scientific and media approaches, seriously occupies routine biochemistry laboratories. The efficacy of vitamin D in various diseases is observed in the lower steps of the evidence-based medicine pyramid such as animal and laboratory studies. However, vitamin D cannot find a place for itself in cohort studies, meta-analyses, and clinical practice treatment guidelines, which are the higher steps of the pyramid. This presentation will address the myths and facts about vitamin D from the perspective of evidence-based medicine. This presentation will also examine vitamin D from a laboratory point of view, such as reference intervals, analytical techniques...

The webinar is accessible for EFLM Academy members only.

Date: 2^nd March 2021 at 18:00 CET

Speaker: Dr. Matteo Vidali (IT)   Moderator: Dr. Andrea Padoan (IT)     Webinar manager: Dr. Dganit Itzhaky (IL)

Indirect methods are data mining techniques for establishing reference intervals. Despite limitations (no precise control of the reference population and preanalytical factors, no consensus on the best procedure to select data or the best statistical algorithm), they present many advantages over the traditional direct approach: reduced costs, better matching between preanalytical and analytical conditions with routine conditions, narrower confidence limits, usefulness in specific age groups or with uncommon sample types, possibility to derive continuous reference limits.

In this presentation, advantages, limitations and the main statistical algorithms of the indirect approach will be introduced. The use of indirect methods for reference intervals verification will be discussed.

The webinar is accessible for EFLM Academy members only.

Date: 29^th September 2020 at 18:00 CET

Speaker: Kleanthi Dima (GR)   Moderator: Petros Karkalousos (GR)     Webinar manager: Petros Karkalousos (GR)

Dr Kleanthi Dima will provide an overview– from the European perspective – of the opportunities that POCT can provide while identifying the limitations to be considered when choosing whether to implement POCT or not, the  clinically relevant analytical techniques, the current technologies, clinical applications, networking and quality issues, and regulatory aspects. In addition, latest technologies, e.g., novel POCT applications of molecular testing for the rapid identification of infectious agents as well as for non-pathogen-related problems will be presented. Another new area of POCT includes the companion diagnostics which help with the appropriate treatment choice, the continuous measurement of metabolites such as continuous transdermal glucose testing, and the Wearables. Finally, a short review of POCT for COVIT 19 will close the presentation.

Speaker: Giuseppe LIPPI (IT)
Moderator: Daniel Rajdl (CZ)
Date: 28^th May 2020

ABSTRACT : The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic infectious disease sustained by a member of the Coronaviridae family, finally called acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The human-to-human transmission is principally conveyed by droplets or physical contact with infected biological material. The range of clinical pictures is quite heterogeneous, with the vast majority of patients being asymptomatic or only experiencing mild respiratory symptoms. Nevertheless, in nearly 15% and 5% of all patients COVID-19 may progress towards severe or even critical illness, requiring sub-intensive or intensive care. The current death rate is comprised between 6-7%, but is highly variable worldwide depending on genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. The etiological diagnosis of COVID-19 is, and will remain for long based on direct identification of viral RNA using molecular biology techniques in respiratory tracts samples (especially naso- and oro-pharyngeal swabs). Serological testing has also been recently developed, thus allowing to recognize that most COVID-19 patients develop an immune response against the virus, especially characterized by appearance of IgG and IgA anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins one to two weeks after symptoms onset. The availability of rapid tests for detecting either viral antigens or anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies has also recently emerged as a valid opportunity for epidemiologic surveillance, though a number of clear quality criteria will need to be fulfilled before any commercially available assay could be safely introduced into clinical practice.

Date: March 10, 2020 at 18:00 CET
Presenter: Evgenija Homšak (SL), Chair EFLM Profession Committee
Moderator: Sverre Sandberg (NO), past past EFLM president, Member EFLM TFG: Practical Approach to Measurement Uncertainty

Webinar will present the main aims of the project and practical approach how to use the EFLMLabX platform/website https://eflmlabx.eflm.eu/en for application and management for the users and offerers of the practice in Laboratory Medicine.

Date: 18th September 2018 at 18:00 CET Speaker: Stephen Church (BD)     Moderator: Zorica Sumarac (SRB)

Date: 10th November 2015      Speaker: Kjell Grankvist     Moderator: Ana-Maria Simundic

The end of laboratory medicine as we know it?

The course will provide an overview of different models to set performance specifications in laboratory medicine; 1) based on clinical outcome, on 2) biological variation, and 3) state of the art. In addition, it will address the total error concept, and performance specifications in external quality assessment schemes and in the extra-analytical phases.

A recording of a plenary presentation by professor Mauro Panteghini, recorded at 4^th Joint EFLM-UEMS Congress: Warsaw, Poland, 21–24 September, 2016

presented by: prof. Dennis Hesselink, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation,
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

recorded at the 4th Joint EFLM-UEMS Congress “Laboratory Medicine at the Clinical Interface”, Warsaw, Poland, 21th–24th September, 2016

The unmet clinical need checklist produced by the EFLM Test Evaluation Working Group (TE-WG) is a practical tool to assist the work of professionals involved in the discovery or implementation of new biomarkers. The tool is aligned with the IOM recommendations and the FDA and CE regulating body’s requirements. An interactive version of the checklist is available in this course. We encourage pilot testing and regular use of the checklist and the TE-WG would appreciate feedback which would inform future refinements of the checklist based on users’ experience.