title: Is laboratory medicine ready for the era of personalized medicine? A survey addressed to laboratory directors of hospitals/academic schools of medicine in Europe.
abstract: Developments in "-omics" are creating a paradigm shift in laboratory medicine leading to personalized medicine. This allows the increase in diagnostics and therapeutics focused on individuals rather than populations. In order to investigate whether laboratory medicine is ready to play a key role in the integration of personalized medicine in routine health care and set the state-of-the-art knowledge about personalized medicine and laboratory medicine in Europe, a questionnaire was constructed under the auspices of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) and the European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Therapy (ESPT). The answers of the participating laboratory medicine professionals indicate that they are aware that personalized medicine can represent a new and promising health model, and that laboratory medicine should play a key role in supporting the implementation of personalized medicine in the clinical setting. Participants think that the current organization of laboratory medicine needs additional/relevant implementations such as (i) new technological facilities in -omics; (ii) additional training for the current personnel focused on the new methodologies; (iii) incorporation in the laboratory of new competencies in data interpretation and counseling; and (iv) cooperation and collaboration among professionals of different disciplines to integrate information according to a personalized medicine approach.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malentacchi
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brandslund
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: Janja
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marc
authors.forename: Ron H N
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: van Schaik
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siest
authors.forename: Elvar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Theodorsson
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazzagli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Resta
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000193:education; D005060:Europe; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000193:education*; D057285:Precision Medicine; D024382:Professional Role; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching