More than 300 delegates at the ACB Focus 2007 meeting in Manchester chose to take a peak into the future of clinical biochemistry by attending the Dade Behring Plenary Lecture
The Dade Behring Lecture is awarded to 'an individual whose work has been of major importance to clinical biochemistry - in practice, research or in education - leading to improved international co-operation between workers in the specialty, particularly those within Europe'.
Entitled 'Clinical Biochemistry in 2011', the 2007 lecture was presented by Muir Gray, programmes director of the UK National Screening Committee and director of clinical knowledge, process and safety for the National Programme for IT.
Gray reviewed how the role of many clinical scientists is likely to change dramatically as a result of an increasing focus on evidence-based medicine.
According to him, some clinical scientists will remain as managers of automated clinical chemistry systems, but others will evolve into managers of patients, taking responsibility for the testing aspects of chronic disease management programmes.
Some will do both.
In the lecture, Gray envisaged a future where those involved with information management will have direct contact with patients: sending out text messages to remind them to take a blood sample and delivering back the results.
