RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES
Embracing change: trusts collaborate to meet laboratory challenges
Unprecedented demand and a need to embrace a personalised approach to medicine: Penny Pinnock looks at these and other challenges currently facing laboratories, and considers the various financial and technological options available to NHS trusts.- Feature
New haematoxylin for routine diagnostic use: a comparative study
The idiom ‘to leave no stone unturned’ means to do everything possible to find something or to solve a problem. Here, Guy Orchard and colleagues apply this approach in the search for an alternative mordant for use in a new haematoxylin solution.- Feature
Laboratory management now as you want it, anytime, anywhere
Introducing the web-based Sysmex Caresphere Dashboard, which offers quality management features that provide full confidence in analyser and assay performance, and easy access to data across multiple clinical disciplines and physical sites.- Feature
Pathway transformation and heart failure: the role of the laboratory
A recent report, commissioned by Pumping Marvellous and Roche, provided surprising statistics on the diagnosis of heart failure. Carly Schott discusses key findings and the pivotal role laboratories play in the patient pathway.- Feature
SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and COVID-19 disease: the pandemic so far
Pathology has faced major challenges this year to detect the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and provide support to COVID-19 patients. Sarah Pitt provides an update on the virology, clinical aspects, testing and epidemiology of this pandemic agent.- Feature
Method comparisons: the importance of study design and requirements
In this second article in his new series on method comparisons, Stephen MacDonald moves on from his initial general introduction to consider experimental design and analysis, the sources of samples and the number required, and framework design.- Feature
SHOT 2019 data: why be reactive with safety when we can be proactive
SHOT laboratory incident specialist Victoria Tuckley summarises the 2019 Annual Report, and highlights why it is vital to look beyond the individual, their actions and the assignment of blame or deficiency for improvements in safety to be made.- Feature
It’s goodbye PHE, and hello National Institute for Health Protection
Public Health England is to be replaced by the National Institute for Health Protection; this came as a shock to those working in public health, and to observers with long experience of the service. Valerie Bevan provides an individual assessment.- Feature
Monitoring COVID-19 disease: the contribution of biological markers
Mandy Campbell from HORIBA Medical provides an overview of COVID-19 screening, prognosis and severity assessment, with a particular focus on the role of biomarkers and the value of point-of-care testing in the initial triage of patients.- Feature
Formalin fixation delivers quality biomarker results by NGS and IHC
A recent white paper published by Epredia examined the effective use of formalin fixation in the molecular study of tumour biomarkers, and included the results of a case study of three non-small-cell lung carcinomas of adenocarcinoma subtype.- Feature
Beating breast cancer: the latest biomarkers and breakthroughs
The mortality rate for breast cancer has fallen dramatically. The latest research offers hope for further improvements, not least through the introduction of highly sensitive blood tests and the innovative use of new and existing treatments.- Feature
Infection prevention is vital in the fight against AMR
At Infection Prevention and Control 2020, held in February, NHS leaders warned that increased efforts are required to reduce healthcare-associated infections, if we are to conquer the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. Louise Frampton reports.- Feature
Biomedical Science Congress: a new planning challenge for 2021
While still over 12 months away, the Biomedical Science Congress is currently exercising the minds and the ingenuity of the organisers of this biennial event, as IBMS Deputy Chief Executive Sarah May explains.- Feature
Method comparison studies in biomedical science: an introduction
Following series on measurement uncertainty and internal quality control, Stephen MacDonald now turns his attention to method comparison, and here provides an introduction to what will be covered in the series in subsequent issues of the magazine.- Feature
Introducing NGS to the clinical microbiology laboratory: an update
The Annual Scientific Conference of the BSMT, due to take place last May, was cancelled. In this article, written on behalf of the BSMT, Mark Wilks collaborates with Adela Medina to summarise the presentation she planned to give at the event.- Feature
How COVID-19 moved the needle on the visible value of diagnostics
From the laboratory to the layperson, from pathologists to the public, the response to in vitro diagnostic testing has been engaging across all sectors of society during the current pandemic. Chris Hudson provides a view on the reaction from Roche.- Feature
Improving efficiency with new cutting-edge analysers at SWLP
An award-winning NHS partnership – South West London Pathology – recently installed DxH 900 haematology workcells from Beckman Coulter to enable its laboratories to provide a single, integrated pathology service to more than 3.5 million people.- Feature
Next-generation sequencing: a brief look in the literature
Diverse use of next-generation sequencing in histopathology and microbiology feature in the current issue; however, this molecular methodology is becoming ubiquitous across a wide range of clinical and laboratory applications.- Feature
Back at the coalface: a clinical virologist and the COVID emergency
Response to the current coronavirus pandemic has seen many retired personnel return to the clinical laboratory bench to help facilitate realisation of testing targets. Such altruistic action does reintroduce the returnee to the reality of change.- Feature
Microbiology testing networks: are they of value and fit for purpose?
Valerie Bevan looks at how microbiology testing networks have changed over the past 80 years, and how reflecting on this, and lessons from the current pandemic, might inform our response to future epidemics/pandemics.- Feature
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