Scientific Programme Information

It is well established that laboratory medicine underpins the delivery of health care in the UK. Effectiveness is a key characteristic of such services and this is critically dependent upon translation of medical evidence and technological developments into practice, policy into practice, and turning laboratory outputs into good patient outcomes. These translations add value to services and can be delivered through partnerships involving health care professionals, academia, and the diagnostics industry. This is the thinking behind the theme for FOCUS 2010, “Focus on Translation”.

We believe that we have put together an exciting programme for this meeting that will be wide ranging, topical, and thought provoking. Symposia commissioned by the Scientific Programme Committee and Corporate Members of the ACB will run side by side providing interest for both specialists and generalists alike. Plenary session topics will range from tumour markers to robotics. There will be a plenary and a workshop on evidence based medicine as well as symposia looking at alternative views of the medical evidence base and addressing the issue around the adoption of new diagnostic tests. Topics covered within other symposia will range from telemedicine to metabolic syndrome. Many of the symposia have been designed to enable us to learn lessons from past practice, current states, and to look at future horizons and with perspectives drawn from service users, providers and suppliers.

There will be some breaks from the traditional programme in that the breakfast workshops will no longer feature. This is to enable the programme timing to be altered to enable more time for a harder focus on the poster submissions. In addition to the attended poster sessions there, will be two facilitated poster sessions each day on topical themes. We hope to promote a very high standard of poster submission this year and would encourage all those attending Focus 2010 to make best use of the time available to benefit from them.

You have probably all heard the saying, “May you live in interesting times”. It is thought by some to be a curse and others a good wish. Either way at this juncture I think it is fair to say that this is our interesting time. The advances in medical science, analytical, and information technology open up tremendous possibilities for us as laboratory medicine specialists to demonstrate value, yet many of us feel under pressure, under valued and under threat as the new NHS evolves. It is my personal belief that if we are to demonstrate our worth to the service then we need to apply our science effectively and translate this into good demonstrable outcomes. I hope the programme that we have put together for Focus 2010 will provide some valuable knowledge to progress this agenda and to stimulate further debate. We look forward to your attendance, and your scientific contribution, at the meeting and would suggest that you make every effort to come to FOCUS 2010 in Glasgow and have a really interesting time.

Bill Bartlett

Chairman, Scientific Programme Committee