15th Annual Frontiers in Laboratory Medicine (FiLM) takes place in Birmingham, England, on January 31–February 1, 2017, and features pathology experts from UK, France, Sweden, The Netherlands, Serbia, Canada, and the USA
Recent innovations in medical laboratory management and operations in Europe and the United Kingdom (UK) will be the subject of a major conference that takes place on January 31 through February 1, 2017, in Birmingham, England. It is the 15th annual Frontiers in Laboratory Medicine (FiLM).
“Medical laboratories throughout Europe are confronted with multiple challenges,” stated Robert Michel, Editor-in-Chief of The Dark Report and one of the conference organizers. “Funding for lab tests is shrinking, demand for lab tests is soaring, and many national health systems are taking forceful actions to consolidate labs into regional networks. All of these topics will be discussed at FiLM.”
Largest Conference of Its Kind in Europe
The Association for Clinical Biochemistry and The Dark Report co-host this annual conference. A slate of international speakers will present the latest hot topics for 2017, including updates on the UK’s new health and social services delivery model, and exciting advances in point-of-care testing that could revolutionize at-home diagnostics.
FiLM is a must attend event for laboratory directors, clinical biochemists, pathologists, and leaders who are interested in keeping their laboratories at the leading edge of clinical and operational excellence. Delegates at this year’s FiLM will get a detailed look at how progressive laboratories are responding to key trends and challenges in healthcare and lab medicine.
“Since its inception in 2003, FiLM has grown into the largest conference in Europe that addresses the management and operation of medical laboratories and histopathology laboratories,” observed Michel. “This year’s slate of international speakers will deliver useful insights about innovations in medical laboratory testing, and new models for sustainable reimbursement and care delivery. Additionally, FiLM offers a unique opportunity to network with professional counterparts from different countries in Europe and North America to learn different solutions to common problems in laboratory testing.”
FiLM 2017 sessions will cover hot topics in technology and medical laboratory science, as well as the latest sustainability strategies for meeting the challenges of the transforming healthcare landscape. Presentations by biochemists, pathologists, and clinical laboratory experts from Europe, the US, and Canada, will bring attendees up to date on how the rapidly evolving fields of genomics and digital pathology/histopathology will impact traditional pathology technologies going forward, as well as strategies for improving lab test utilization.
Comparing Innovations Across Borders
Another unique opportunity at FiLM 2017 is a multi-national look at how innovative medical laboratories from several countries are responding to the needs of their healthcare systems. Speakers from Norway, Serbia, and France, will present case studies with a comparative perspective on laboratory medicine practice across Europe.
“This is an example of how FiLM is cross-fertilizing innovations in medical laboratory testing across international borders,” observed Michel. The speakers will include:
• Snezana Jovicic, PhD, Head of Laboratory at Clinics for Cardiac Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Cardiology, Center for Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Center of Serbia;
• Sverre Sandberg, MD, PhD, Director of the Norwegian quality improvement of primary care laboratories, and faculty member at the University of Bergen;
• Bernard Gouget, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University Hospital in Paris Descartes and a Counsellor for public health at the Fédération Hospitalière de France.
Distinguished Speakers and Critical Topics at FiLM 2017
In December 2015, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) described its Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) for transferring power and funds from central to local governments. The goal was to improve health and social care through a service-and-reimbursement model built around the needs of local populations and improved NHS efficiency. Simon Worthington, Finance Director and Deputy Chief Executive, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, UK, will discuss the significant questions still remaining in the implementation of this NHS flagship policy.
Top laboratory leaders will share how they are using new principles of leadership and organizational change to thrive under evolving models of sustainable healthcare. “Healthcare in all developed nations is undergoing rapid transformation,” stated Michel. “Different elements of healthcare’s transformation can be disruptive because of the speed and extent of the change associated with that process.”
Bridget S. Wilkins, DM, PhD, Director of Clinical Effectiveness, Royal College of Pathologists, will speak about the emerging science of Organizational Resilience (OR). These principles and techniques will be increasingly critical for laboratory leaders who wish to empower their organizations to anticipate and respond adaptively to change.
William G. Morice II, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, and President, Mayo Medical Laboratories (MML), will address how the Mayo leadership are successfully responding to the challenges of the changing healthcare environment in the United States.
Attendees will hear firsthand how advances in point-of-care testing, including the XPRIZE incentivized tricorder, could make 23rd century science fiction 21st century reality. Handheld point-of-care (POC) testing devices are revolutionizing access to affordable, accurate diagnostics for a host of conditions. Dr. Nigel Guest, Chief Clinical Officer, Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group, UK, will discuss how POC testing is supporting new models of service delivery in primary care in the UK.
Professor James McLaughlin, Director of the Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, will share NIBEC’s vision for integrated home diagnostics using its XPRIZE award-winning platform.
Talks on a fully digital pathway for diagnostic reporting/informatics/analytics software, and a case study on how to protect your laboratory from the growing threat of cyber-attack, will further position the attendees’ organizations for success in 2017.
Act now to guarantee your place at Frontiers in Laboratory Medicine by registering today on the FiLM website. There’s an early bird registration discount, so act now and save even more money! You can review the full agenda, with speakers and topics, or access the entire program brochure, by pasting this URL into your browser: http://www.frontiersinlabmedicine.com/pdf/FiLM-Brochure.pdf.
—Pamela Scherer McLeod
Related Information:
Full program information and speaker agenda for Frontiers in Laboratory Medicine PDF
Download a PDF of the full agenda for Frontiers in Laboratory Medicine, or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.frontiersinlabmedicine.com/pdf/FiLM-Brochure.pdf
To register for Frontiers in Laboratory Medicine, or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.frontiersinlabmedicine.com/
Visit the Association of Clinical Biochemists website
