The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) is a worldwide, non-political organisation for clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. As such, it has a range of roles that include global standard setting in collaboration with other international organisations, supporting its members through scientific and educational endeavour, and providing a series of congresses, conferences and focused meetings in order for laboratory medicine specialists to meet and present original findings and best practice.
The IFCC relies very heavily on volunteers to run the organisation and to undertake its range of activities and programmes. Those volunteers are constantly changing and so a reference document is required to assist people who want to learn more about IFCC and its operation. That reference document is this IFCC Handbook.
The production of the IFCC Handbook occurs once every three years to coincide with the term of each Executive Board. However, IFCC is a dynamic organisation that evolves constantly. The most up to date information about IFCC is always available from the IFCC website (www.ifcc.org).
The Handbook puts in one place all the information about the function and operation of IFCC. This includes the organisation of IFCC and its aims and strategic objectives over the three year life of the Executive Board. Also, it includes details of IFCC programmes and projects. The Handbook lists, in logical order, IFCC Regional Organisations, Divisions, Committees, Working Groups and Task Forces. The Full Members, Corporate Members and Affiliate Members are also included. Contact names and addresses are included for the many people who work with and for IFCC. Finally the necessary Statutes and Rules of the IFCC are published in the Handbook.
