AACC, a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to better health through laboratory medicine, is pleased to announce the launch of its new journal, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine: An AACC Publication. The international, peer-reviewed publication debuted on the opening day of the 68th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in Philadelphia. Published every other month online, the journal will deliver the latest innovation in translational laboratory medicine research.
Laboratory medicine professionals play a critical role in patient care by providing essential answers to clinicians so that patients get the treatment they need. With The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, AACC aims to advance the practice of lab medicine by providing all professionals in the field—from scientists and innovators to regulators and manufacturers—with timely research that is reliable, unbiased, and trustworthy and that can easily be put into action. The studies in the journal will consist of findings and applications that lie on a continuum from being available in laboratory practice today to availability within the next 7 years. They will focus on relevant, pragmatic issues such as test utilization—which is making sure the right test is ordered at the right time; reducing testing errors in order to minimize risk to patients; and strategies for making lab services more cost-effective.
Notably, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine will also pay special attention to laboratory-developed tests, which are tests created in-house by labs to fill unmet clinical needs, such as when no commercial test exists for a rare disease. For the last few years, the healthcare community has been locked in a standoff over how to regulate lab-developed tests to ensure that they're safe and effective for use in patient care. The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine hopes to play a constructive role in this debate by serving as a venue for disseminating analytical and clinical evidence for these tests.
"We at AACC believe The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine will drive innovation in the clinical laboratory and help lab medicine professionals to continue discovering essential solutions to patient health problems," said AACC CEO Janet B. Kreizman. "All of us involved with this valuable resource are looking forward to enthusiastically engaging its readers and contributors, and playing an active role in the evolution of laboratory medicine."
In addition to original research, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine will feature editorials, briefs, case reports, practical advice on tackling laboratory challenges, and perspectives from experts on key topics in the field. It is available at www.jalm.org.
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