FEATURE ARTICLES

In a recent evaluation at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Specialist Haemostasis Unit laboratory in Cambridge, Stago’s bench-top coagulation analyser, sthemO 201, demonstrated the potential to help laboratories enhance precision, improve efficiency, and support safer, more reliable clinical decision-making.

Arterial blood gas analysis is an important part of the diagnosis and management of several health conditions, and is increasingly conducted at the point of care. With EQA paramount for such devices, Ceri Parfitt and Annette Thomas present a retrospective study examining the performance of laboratory and POC analysers.

With the discovery of new biomarkers increasingly fuelling new diagnostics and treatments – most notably in Alzheimer’s Disease – Michael Miller explains how both publicly and privately funded research have vital roles to play.

Wastewater surveillance was one of the topics on the programme at the BSMT Anniversary Microbiology Conference, held in May. Further information on this can be found elsewhere in this issue, but here Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation selects a small sample of poliovirus research interest in this area, all of which are free to access.

With urinary tract infections being both a burden on the health system and a contributor to antimicrobial resistance, Jonathan Shaw says that advanced diagnostics can play a key role.

James Henry continues his series on the population health management of human phenotype ontology, examining how the concept can aid the implementation of the recently published NHS 10 Year Plan.

Debra Padgett, Clinical Pathology Lead and Lead Healthcare Scientist, and an IBMS Past President, discusses pathology, working towards Net Zero, and Biomedical Science Day as well as the recent refurbishment of her laboratory.

With diagnostic capabilities always evolving, Joanne Bradley explains why she believes the time is right for mass spectrometry to make the move from specialist settings into routine clinical use.

In this fifth article in his series, Stephen MacDonald focuses on the implementation of risk-based turnaround time management, which requires collaboration across laboratory and clinical teams, supported by robust IT infrastructure and real-time monitoring tools, and, most importantly, cultural change.

Next month the biennial IBMS Congress will return to the ICC in Birmingham, showcasing the very best that biomedical science and those supporting the event haveto offer. In this issue, Pathology in Practice focuses on a further selection of scientific programme abstracts, alphabetically from immunology to virology.

In May, at the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London, the British Society for Microbial Technology celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Annual Microbiology Conference. Here, members of the BSMT committee report on yet another highly successful event.

Alan Kennedy, Specialist Biomedical Scientist Clinical Research, shines a light on the role played by the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Biorepository in medical research and its real-world applications in advancing patient care.

In September, the biennial IBMS Congress will return to the ICC in Birmingham. The focus once again will be on the very best that biomedical science and those supporting the event have to offer. Here, Pathology in Practice focuses on a small selection of scientific programme abstracts, alphabetically from cellular pathology to haematology.

By moving away from fixed quality control schedules and embracing a framework rooted in clinical risk and analytical performance, laboratories can tailor their quality systems to reflect real-world challenges. Here, Stephen MacDonald introduces the role of analytical performance specifications, Sigma metrics, and the MaxE(nuf) model.

This study was conducted by Epredia to evaluate the scannability rate of 2D barcodes generated by the SlideMate Laser slide printer that have been printed directly on SlideMate Laser PLUS slides.

The AUTOPLATE study group has used partnerships to offer improved evaluation of new light transmission aggregometry technology to diagnose platelet function disorders. George Tarpley explains how the group was established and looks at its progress so far.

As a small community hospital, Pennsylvania’s Doylestown Health had to rely on external services for next-generation sequencing. Here, Allison Eck explains how she was able to bring NGS testing in-house and the benefits it has brought to patients and researchers.

Metagenomics sequencing analyses DNA from a sample containing mixed microbial communities, which allows the identification and characterisation of microbes without the need for cultivation. Here, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation selects a small sample of relevant research papers in this area, all of which are free to access.

Women with long-term conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome are often left feeling abandoned and alone. Our healthcare system could do so much more to recognise – and therefore mitigate – their suffering. Anne Connolly discusses the latest advances in diagnosis and the need for better guidance.

To fully realise the transformative power of data-driven services and personalised medicine, they require structured integration of digital and genomic innovations that network and account cultural, and ethical implications, explains James Henry.