MEDLAB Magazine Staff, 15 January 2017

As a stand-alone event this year, MEDLAB Exhibition and Congress is welcoming over 35,000 laboratory professionals to do business with 700 international companies, showcasing the latest laboratory management and diagnostics technologies available to the market worldwide.

Plus, the 16th Annual Laboratory Management and Medicine Congress is hosting 11 CME-accredited conference tracks discussing latest discoveries by renowned speakers.

The exhibition is occupying six exhibition halls and is displaying over 400 cutting-edge medical laboratory products and services from 38 countries. The event is offering the perfect opportunity to visitors to network with their existing suppliers or to set face-to-face appointments with new suppliers, to source and evaluate solutions to improve efficiency.

Additionally, the MEDLAB exhibition reinforces its position as an international hub showcasing a truly international base of suppliers with 15 dedicated country pavilions.

During the four-day event, 11 multi-disciplinary conferences offer up to 28 CME credits that will be led by globally recognised speakers on topics including laboratory management, microbiology, immunology and clinical chemistry. While incorporating new tracks specialising in blood transfusion medicine, laboratory informatics and updates in clinical diagnostics of cardiology and diabetes, enabling the correlation of roles between lab professionals and clinicians. The programme brings a global appeal with over 150 local and international speakers.

Plus, there are industry workshops taking place that are being led by leading local and international companies, sharing their knowledge and expertise on topics such as: Paediatric Pathology, Laboratory Accreditation, Spatial Coagulation, among others.

With the aim of bridging the gap in medical knowledge, the MEDLAB Congress 2017 will provide the latest insights into new procedures, techniques and skills that delegates can take away and apply in their everyday work environment.

With the continued economic growth and rapid development in the Middle East, as well as the improvement of healthcare systems, and the substantial advances of living standards in the society, the potential for growth in the laboratory medicine in the region is strong.

Knowledge exchange among laboratory professionals is the key to improving patient care. The process of translating a discovery into a useful clinical tool and product requires continuous learning upgrade. By providing access to education and networking opportunities, the Congress hopes to improve laboratory practices in the region and develop the laboratory medicine community.

Some of the key areas that will be focused on at the conferences include:

• Interpreting key technological breakthroughs in managing a laboratory
• Discussing safety in transfusion medicine and quality improvement
• Reviewing data analytics in the laboratory
• Appraising the latest developments in cardiac markers
• Evaluating standard current practices and utilisation of POCT
• Assessing laboratory information management system
• Discovering next generation sequencing methods
• Describing practical approaches in histopathology
• Identifying screening tools for the diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus
• Analysing quality improvement in haematology practices

Dr Mansour Al-Zarouni, Chair, MEDLAB Congress was quoted saying, “This meeting will focus on the most current researches related to the laboratory diagnostics and the role of the laboratory in both the management of infectious diseases, epidemiology of infections and will provide the current state of knowledge in the field, as well as balanced, thought-provoking perspectives on controversial issues.”

He highlighted that new in the 2017 scientific programme is the inclusion of updates in laboratory testing and developments in clinical diagnostics to review the expanding role of laboratory medicine in patient care. This will feature the correlation of tasks between a laboratory professional and a clinician, in analysing algorithms of the disease, test interpretations and standards in reporting.

According to Al-Zarouni, each track will cover advancements in science, technology and application of various laboratory techniques and clinical implementations that delegates can take away and apply in their everyday work environment. 

CONGRESS OVERVIEW

Laboratory Management - 6 Feb

To support a sustainable culture of quality management in the medical lab environment, both medical leadership and administrative leadership are equally important. This CME-accredited conference offers an opportunity to understand the collaboration to ensure quality improvement and safety management in medical laboratories.

Cardiac Markers - 6 Feb

This CME- accredited conference is designed to bring together clinicians and lab professionals to share their expertise in the interpretation of lab tests, that aid in the implementation of interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease. By providing access to networking opportunities, this conference hopes to bridge the gap between roles of the lab professional and the cardiology/emergency professional.

5th Middle East Diabetes Conference 6 -7 Feb 

The co-location of this year’s CME accredited conference with te MEDLAB Congress will assist physicians’ ability to diagnose diabetes earlier, to adjust drug therapies, and to identify complications quickly, and will enable enhancement of the association between lab professionals and diabetes specialists.

Molecular Diagnostics - 7 Feb

As molecular techniques and tools have made their transitions into the clinical arena, molecular diagnostics is becoming an integral part of clinical practice. This CME- accredited conference will discuss how molecular diagnostics is being applied to the clinical setting for greater speed and accuracy of healthcare delivery, while paving the way for a new era in medicine.

Blood Transfusion Medicine - 7 Feb

Blood transfusion services in the Middle East have made progress towards ensuring universal access to safe blood. However, significant gaps remain in providing access to affordable and sustainable supplies of blood. The CME- accredited conference will discuss these global challenges in transfusion transmitted infections and effective tools for improving these practices.

Microbiology & Immunology - 8 Feb

This CME- accredited conference focuses on latest developments in technology and therapeutic options for the management of infectious diseases and epidemiology of infections. It provides a unique platform for clinical scientists, researchers and consultants to exchange their knowledge and views on laboratory diagnosis, pathogenesis, clinical characteristics of infection and drug resistance.

Haematology - 8 Feb

New technological advancements and diagnostic tests have emerged to aid in the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of patients with bleeding disorders and thrombotic abnormalities. To discuss updates in haematopathology, leukaemia, lymphoma, haemoglobinopathy, coagulation and haemostasis, MEDLAB brings you the CME- accredited Haematology Conference.

Laboratory Testing & Management of Diabetes - 8 Feb 

Diagnostic errors contribute to approximately 10% of patient deaths. To reduce the cost, suffering, and loss of life that comes from these errors, lab professionals need to communicate more effectively with physicians. This conference will host discussions that will focus on tests and tools for diagnosing diabetes and monitoring glycemic control and how these results are interpreted and used appropriately.

Clinical Chemistry - 9 Feb

As new discoveries are being applied to the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, lab medicine and clinical chemistry play a major role in the application of biochemistry. This CME- accredited conference will provide its participants, an up-to-date knowledge on the latest technology usage for pathologists and provide solutions to improve lab practices for better quality and turnaround time.

Histopathology - 9 Feb

 Molecular tools and genomic data are radically changing the face of medical science. To provide the participants a comprehensive review of the latest histopathological, cytological and related technical advances in this industry, MEDLAB Congress has designed the Histopathology conference. It will be accredited by the Cleveland Clinic.

Laboratory Informatics -9 Feb

 The integration of pathology systems and the processes required to support are becoming ever more complex. New to MEDLAB, this CME- accredited conference focuses on the optimal use of pathology services and the challenges faced by lab scientists to ensure effective introduction of IT systems that can meet the needs of modern lab medicine.