The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine or IFCC is a global organization that promotes the fields of
clinical chemistry
Clinical chemistry (also known as chemical pathology, clinical biochemistry or medical biochemistry) is the area of chemistry that is generally concerned with analysis of bodily fluids for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It is an applied ...
and laboratory medicine. It was established in 1952 as the International Association of Clinical Biochemists to organize the various national societies of these fields.
The organization aims to transcend the boundaries of the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine, to build professionalism of members worldwide, to disseminate information on ”best practice” at various levels of technology and of economic development, to provide a forum of standardization and traceability, to enhance the scientific level and the quality of diagnosis and therapy for patients.
The IFCC membership comprises 95 national societies and is associated with 6 regional Federations, 55 corporate members and 21 affiliate members representing more than 45,000 laboratory medicine specialists worldwide.
Structure and organization
The IFCC carries out its objectives through its executive board, divisions, committees and working groups. Representatives from member organizations are volunteers, invited from throughout the world on the basis of their expertise.
Scientific Division (SD)
* Its mission is to advance the science of clinical chemistry and to apply it to the practice of Clinical Laboratory medicine
* Participate actively in the scientific programs of IFCC scientific meetings and Congresses
* Respond to scientific and technical needs of IFCC Member Societies, IFCC Corporate members and external agencies
* The Scientific Division of the IFCC instigates and promotes theoretical and practical developments in the field of standards and standardisation in clinical chemistry.
Education & Management Division (EMD)
Its mission is to provide IFCC members and the health-care community with education relevant to clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. Current projects include:
* Visiting Lecturer Program
* Clinical Molecular Biology Courses
* Expanding knowledge in Evidence Based Medicine
* Managing the quality of Laboratory tests
* Courses and workshops in specialized areas
Communications and Publications Division (CPD)
* Its mission is to provide worldwide communication about the work of IFCC to clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and health policy –makers and to provide continuing education, materials and services.
* It is responsible for the IFCC website and the publication of the e -Journal (eJIFCC)
* The IFCC news and scientific documents are also published in peer-reviewed journals, newsletters and on the IFCC website.
Congresses and Conferences Committee (C-CC)
* Its mission is to provide administration and management of all IFCC meeting activities and to review applications for IFCC Auspices from non IFCC conferences requesting such sponsorship
* Visit the IFCC website for a database of upcoming international and regional conferences
Key programs
* IFCC Reference Materials
* Distance Learning Program
* Visiting Lectureship Program
* Professional Scientific Exchange Program
* IFCC Speakers Bureau
* Roche/IFCC Travel Scholarships
See also
*
Good Laboratory Practice
In the experimental (non-clinical) research arena, good laboratory practice or GLP is a quality system of management controls for research laboratories and organizations to ensure the uniformity, consistency, reliability, reproducibility, quality ...
(GLP)
*
Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), located in Geel, Belgium, is one of the seven institutes of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a Directorate-General of the European Commission (EC).
The IRMM promotes a common and relia ...
(IRMM)
*
International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation or ILAC started as a conference in 1977 with the aim of developing international cooperation for facilitating trade by promotion of the acceptance of accredited test and calibration results. ...
*
ISO 15189
*
Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine
The Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine or JCTLM is collaboration between the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM), the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC), and the ...
*
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical s ...
(NIST)
*
Reference values
In medicine and health-related fields, a reference range or reference interval is the range or the interval of values that is deemed normal for a physiological measurement in healthy persons (for example, the amount of creatinine in the blood, o ...
References
External links
International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine(IFCC)
ISO15189.combrief history of the IFCCand its leaders.
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Standards organisations in Italy
Accreditation in healthcare
Chemistry organizations
Clinical pathology
International medical and health organizations
Organizations established in 1952
1952 establishments in Italy