Jan Wolter is the representative of the Presidium of the German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL). Under his leadership, the professional society has been undergoing a strategic and communicative realignment since 2024, which is attracting attention in the media nationwide. Wolter spoke in the series NACHGEFRAGT about his strategic decisions, the potentials of associations – and explained why a scientific society like the DGKL runs a successful information portal.

MedLabPortal: Mr. Wolter, as Authorized Representative of the Executive Board, you have been responsible for the communications strategy and strategic realignment of the DGKL for almost two years now. What have you achieved so far?

Wolter: I think we have achieved a lot in the past two years. Internal processes were fundamentally redesigned and at the same time the entire communication was put on a new footing. In order to bring laboratory medicine more into the public eye and make it better known, we have built up a platform with the MedLabPortal that gives us a reach that would hardly have been conceivable before.

MedLabPortal: And in this way the DGKL has become more visible?

Wolter: We already have more than 2 million views on Google alone this year. We occupy top positions in many search queries. The media also pick up on our topics. And the MedLabPortal went online only a year ago.

MedLabPortal: Let’s do the math quickly: You started in December 2023, so the portal went online 10 months after you launched. So the idea already existed before you took over?

Wolter: No. After I started, I developed the idea, wrote a concept, convinced the executive committee, looked for an agency that could do it, and then implemented it. At the same time, our website was relaunched, a new member area was created, a new CRM was introduced, the accounting was changed and much more.

MedLabPortal: You said at the beginning that you had also set up new processes?

Wolter: Yes, we have digitized a lot, especially in membership management. Our CRM is linked to the member area, which significantly accelerates and simplifies processes. The aim of all this is to make the paths as barrier-free and easy as possible for members.

MedLabPortal: Back to the MedLabPortal. Information portals on the Internet are a dime a dozen, why did you want to set up your own for the DGKL?

Wolter: As a scientific society, I did not want to become dependent on other platforms or media. Our interviews, background reports and daily news must be able to come to the public in an unadulterated and timely manner. In addition, we have linked the MedLabPortal to our member area so that content from the portal can be shared directly there. The MedLabPortal can thus also become a source of inspiration in the professional society.

MedLabPortal: They are known for anticipating socially relevant developments in the security sector. At the ASW Federal Association, for example, you predicted as early as 2016 that Germany would have to become resilient in the area of cybersecurity and disinformation. This is interesting for us insofar as the ASW includes partners such as the BND, BKA, BSI and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution – they were 10 years ahead of these institutions, so to speak. What are the safety risks for laboratory medicine today?

Wolter: I always see new technologies as an opportunity, but I also try to look at them through the lens of a criminal. When 3D printing came out, social media became more widespread or AI celebrated its first successes in image and video generation, I always had scenarios ready for how all of this could be used as a weapon. In the end, they are works that are available to practically everyone. The question is who wants to achieve what and will use these tools against whom to do so. Laboratory medicine is likely to be on the list of several “bad guys” from different fields. I currently see the greatest risks in the cyber sector. I don’t see an immediate physical threat.

MedLabPortal: And how should laboratory medicine adapt to this? The industry is not lacking in money – after all, it generates a turnover of around 10 billion euros per year.

Wolter: You have to look at this in a differentiated way. In fact, the remuneration for laboratory services is constantly declining, and the healthcare industry as a whole is facing a high pressure to save. Unfortunately, investments in security are not seen for what they are, namely as the basis of business. They are what make business possible in the long term. The problem is too often solved by insurance or certificates with which one is exempt from liability. Unfortunately, that’s often all that matters. We have to fundamentally rethink security! And that also requires money.

MedLabPortal: Before the ASW Federal Association, you worked for SPECTARIS, an association that is one of the heavyweights in medical technology. Why do you think associations are so important as a structure of our society?

Wolter: Through associations, you can do things from the community that would otherwise not be possible. The problem with some associations, however, is that they are run too much like authorities. They are managed. Or it is a matter of producing beautiful pictures, printing glossy papers or sending out as many press releases as possible in which the volunteer work has its say at length. That’s a pity, because often so much would be possible! Associations offer enormous potential – you just have to leverage it.

MedLabPortal: We like to be provocative. Just because the members of an association generate billions of euros does not mean that they unduly support the association’s work beyond membership fees. Does this also apply to laboratory medicine?

Wolter: Generating additional funds is always a challenge.

MedLabPortal: Does every cent invested pay off in the long term through the resulting education and sensitization of the population?

Wolter: The question is what “pay off” is supposed to mean. In any case, I am firmly convinced that intelligent communication leads to better information and will ultimately save costs in the healthcare system. Ultimately, we need more cheap laboratory medicine and less expensive treatments.

MedLabPortal: What do you mean by “intelligent communication”?

Wolter: With all more complex, scientific topics, it is fundamentally difficult to reach the willing population. It’s not every physician or physicist – fortunately! We need to communicate science in a more understandable and practical way. Then it also interests someone who is not a specialist. And it is also of interest to the media, which like to take up the topics.

MedLabPortal: At the DGKL, you have succeeded in doing so. The association – legally an association – has a little more than 1000 members, which seems small in terms of numbers. Nevertheless, media heavyweights such as the Tagesspiegel report on what you have to say. On Google and ChatGPT, people who are looking for relevant topics in laboratory medicine and medicine can find the topics of the DGKL via MedLabPortal. Do you focus on quality instead of quantity?

Wolter: I would say that through class we achieve mass. The topics of laboratory medicine affect each of us. If we get them prepared well and excitingly (i.e. great), then the masses are also interested.

MedLabPortal: Associations, on the other hand, represent their own interests, which is difficult for the population to convey, especially in the medical sector. How can you deal with negative image images? The whining chief physician in the Porsche would be such a picture….

Wolter: The DGKL is a scientific society. Our aim is to further develop laboratory medicine, establish the highest standards and thus save human lives. We don’t complain, we don’t complain. We then analyse and give constructive recommendations for action – quite soberly and always at the cutting edge of science.

MedLabPortal: Health policy is always a minefield. Are you getting the necessary backing from the professional society, or are there voices internally that prefer to focus on less visibility for the sake of peace?

Wolter: With 1,200 members, there are always different voices on individual topics. So far, however, no one has told me that we should become quieter.

MedLabPortal: Thank you for your time

The questions were asked by Vlad Georgescu

Read Also:

The voice of laboratory medicine must be a scientific society” – MedLabPortal

Position paper: DGKL presents national strategic plan for laboratory medicine – MedLabPortal

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Gender note. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple references and gendered designations are avoided in favor of better readability.