The European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) is an organization that is committed to the further development of laboratory medicine in Europe. It was founded in 2007 and resulted from the merger of two older European professional associations. Based in Milan, Italy, the EFLM now represents over 40 national associations from all over Europe, representing around 17,000 laboratory medicine professionals. But what exactly does the EFLM do and why is it so important for this sector?

The EFLM aims to improve the quality and benefits of laboratory medicine in Europe. Laboratory medicine is the part of medicine that deals with laboratory analyses – i.e. tests of blood, urine or other samples to detect and monitor diseases or to find the right therapy. The EFLM ensures that these tests are carried out to a high standard in Europe and are reliable for patients, doctors and the healthcare system. It does this by developing standards, supporting research and promoting exchange between experts.

Harmonization is a key aspect of the EFLM’s work. It aims to ensure that laboratory results in different countries are comparable. For example, if a test in Italy shows a certain value for blood glucose, the same test in Poland or Germany should not be completely different. To this end, the EFLM draws up guidelines and recommendations that laboratories can use to harmonize their methods. This is particularly important in Europe, where people are often treated across borders or laboratory samples are sent between countries.

The EFLM is also strongly committed to education. It organizes conferences such as the “EFLM EuroMedLab”, where experts meet to discuss new technologies, methods or challenges. It also offers training courses and online courses, for example on the interpretation of test results or quality assurance in the laboratory. The EFLM provides young scientists in particular with a platform for networking and further training. It also co-publishes the journal “Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine” (CCLM) – an important medium for sharing research results.

Another major topic is quality assurance. The EFLM is working to ensure that laboratories in Europe adhere to uniform standards, for example through external quality control programs. This means that laboratories regularly test samples with known values to check whether their results are correct. This ensures that patients throughout Europe can rely on accurate diagnoses – be it for cancer, diabetes or infections.

The importance of the EFLM is also reflected in its collaboration with other organizations, such as the IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine) and the European Union. Together, they influence health policy and promote projects that strengthen laboratory medicine – for example in the development of new tests during the coronavirus pandemic. The EFLM contributes the European perspective and takes into account the diversity of healthcare systems on the continent.

The EFLM is therefore a key figure for laboratory medicine in Europe. It connects experts from Lisbon to Helsinki, ensures uniform quality and drives innovation. Without its work, laboratory results would be less reliable and cooperation between countries would be more difficult. In short: the EFLM makes laboratory medicine in Europe better – and therefore also healthcare for millions of people.