{"id":477,"date":"2023-11-15T15:19:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T06:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lmi.jp\/articles\/?p=477"},"modified":"2026-02-09T14:17:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T05:17:48","slug":"japanese-perspective-and-prospect-beyond-the-pandemic-of-the-asian-society-of-clinical-pathology-and-laboratory-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lmi.jp\/articles\/2023\/11\/15\/japanese-perspective-and-prospect-beyond-the-pandemic-of-the-asian-society-of-clinical-pathology-and-laboratory-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Perspective and Prospect Beyond the Pandemic of the Asian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2020Hayato Miyachi<\/em>,<\/a><\/strong> MD, PhD*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\u2003<\/span>Cute<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/span><\/summary>
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Miyachi H. Japanese Perspective and Prospect Beyond the Pandemic of the Asian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Lab Med Int 2023; 2(2): 11-16. doi: 10.51041\/lmi.2.2_11<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Review
Lab Med Int 2023; 2(2): 11-16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2020Dean, Nitobe Bunka College, 3-43-16 Nakano Nakano-ku Tokyo 164-0001 Japan.
Tel: +81-3-3381-0121 Fax: +81-3-3381-0348 E-mail: miyachi”@”is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
*Dean, Nitobe Bunka College, Professor, Faculty of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download PDF<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

ABSTRACT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (ASCPaLM) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1975 for the societies primarily engaged in laboratory medicine (clinical pathology). Its aim is to enhance the development and practice of laboratory medicine to promote better support the health and well-being of the communities it serves. The organization support its constituent societies in Asia, as well as its other members through communication, cooperation in education, research and practice. The Japanese Society for Laboratory Medicine (JSLM) has played a crucial role in establishing ASCPaLM and continues to be actively involved in its operation. It needs to keep to demonstrate leadership in these activities, leveraging its innovation initiative, particularly through collaboration with industry sectors. The ASCPaLM contributed to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing experiences and knowledge, with clinical pathologists and laboratory professionals at the forefront of laboratory practice and services. To address the weakness of communities that the pandemic has exposed, it is an important time to take action and achieve the the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by promoting innovation, technology transfer, and continuous quality improvement of the laboratory practice to meet requirements in international standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u3014Lab Med Int 2023; 2(2): 11-16\u3015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asia, clinical pathology, laboratory medicine, congress, organization, COVID-19<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I. Aim and history of the organization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Aim<\/strong>
    The Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (ASCPaLM) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1975 for the societies primarily involved in laboratory medicine (clinical pathology)1)<\/sup><\/strong>. The organization\u2019s aim is to improve the development and practices of laboratory medicine to promote the health and well-being of the communities it serves (Table 1<\/strong>). The ASCPaLM strives to support its constituent societies in Asia and other members globally by facilitating communication, cooperation in education, research and practice. Its goal is to promote the information exchange on activities, experiences, and knowledge among Asian countries and contribute to health, medical care, and welfare both in and outside the region by maintaining high-quality of clinical laboratory practice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. History<\/strong>
    The ASCPaLM has a long history dating back to the early days of laboratory medicine, and has successfully facilitated collaboration among the clinical laboratory societies throughout Asia. The history of ASCPaLM dates back to the Korean-Japanese Conference of Clinical Pathology, which held the first conference in Seoul, South Korea in 1975. Since then it has been held every two years, alternating between Japan and South Korea. In time, other Asian countries including Taiwan joined as full-members. At the 9th conference in 1990, it was reorganized and renamed as \u2018the Asian Conference of Clinical Pathology: ACCP’. The 1st ACCP was held in Sapporo, Japan, under the co-chairmanship of Professor Teiichi Sasaki and Professor Ichiro Kurokawa from Sapporo Medical College (Table 2<\/strong>). The ACCP continued to be held every two years until the 8th meeting in 2004, when the name was changed to the current \u2019Asian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, ASCPaLM’1)<\/sup><\/strong>. Today, the ASCPaLM has five full-member countries: i.e., Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine (JSLM), Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine (KSLM), Indonesian Association of Clinical Pathologists (IACP), Taiwan Society of Clinical Pathologists (TSCP) and Mongolian Association of Laboratory Medicine (MALM). All of representatives and congress are endorsed by their respective national society of laboratory medicine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Table 1-1\u3000<\/strong>Organization & Committees<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Table 1-2\u3000<\/strong>Organization & Committees<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    II. Japan\u2019s efforts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Host of the Congresses<\/strong>
      In Japan, following the 1st ACCP in 1990, the 5th ACCP was held in Kochi in 1998 under the chairman of Professor Jiro Endo from Shimane Medical University. The 9th ASCPaLM congress was held in Kobe in 2006 under the chairman of Professor Shunichi Kumagai from Kobe University, and the 12th was held in Kyoto in 2012 under the chairman of Professor Hakuo Takahashi from Kansai Medical University, and the 17th was in Kobe in 2022 under the chairman of Professor Hayato Miyachi from Tokai University and Nitobe-Bunka College 2)<\/sup><\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Financial and academic support<\/strong>
      To promote cooperation with international organizations in clinical pathology and laboratory medicine, JSLM has closely worked with international organizations like ASCPaLM and WASPaLM3)4)<\/sup><\/strong>. In 1989, JSLM established the Asian Exchange Fund to provide financial and academic support to ASCPaLM congress held in Asian member countries. To encourage young scientists, in 2009, JSLM created an award to recognize and support their research presentation at international conferences, such as the Congresses of the ASCPaLM and the World Congresses of WASPaLM.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Collaboration with WASCPaLM<\/strong>
      Collaboration between ASCPaLM and WASCPaLM has been actively developed and promoted by the Japanese Presidents of WASPaLM5) 6)<\/sup><\/strong>. In 1992, at the 2nd ACCP Conference, a WASPaLM Bureau Meeting was held concurrently with the suggestion of Professor Tadashi Kawai from Jichii University, as the President of WASPaLM. This promoted exchange between ACCP and WASPaLM, leading to approve of the opening of WASPaLM’s administrative office in Japan.
      Under the leadership and guidance of Professor Masami Murakami from Gunma University, as the President of WASPaLM, a joint symposium between ASCPaLM and WASPaLM was held during the World Congress of WASPaLM held in Kyoto, Japan in 2017, as well in Xi’an, China in 2019. In 2022, JSLM session as an ASCPaLM member was held during the World Congress of WASPaLM at Punta del Este, Uruguay, which was postponed for one year due to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Table 2 <\/strong>Congress of the Asian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n

      \n
      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

      ACCP, Asian Conference of Clinical Pathology; ASCPaLM, Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      III. Combatting COVID-19 pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Clinical pathologists at the forefront of combatting COVID-19<\/strong>
        In 2020, as the President of ASCPaLM, Professor Hayato Miyachi from Tokai University announced to share activities, experiences and knowledges not only among our societies of ASCPaLM and their communities, but also societies and communities from other regions in the world, as follows. The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented experience in human history7)<\/sup><\/strong>. It brought to light the crucial role of laboratory services in combatting the spread of the disease. Clinical pathologists and laboratory professionals were at the forefront of the medical laboratories and thus patient care in the medical facilities. All clinical pathologists in each member country of ASCPaLM made the best effort in the laboratory practice for the care of patients and general population by managing laboratory practices and services. Some of member countries of ASCPaLM successfully controlled the spread of COVID-19 earlier than other areas of the world, by taking an advantage of the laboratory tests for corona virus. The experience and knowledge gained through the laboratory practice in Asia would be useful and helpful for controlling the outbreak in the world and also for preparing for the future surges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. The virtual Congress at the pandemi<\/strong>
        The 16th ASCPaLM Congress was held in Indonesia virtually for the first time in the history of ASCPaLM 8)<\/sup><\/strong>. Originally scheduled in September 2020, the meeting was postponed to until January 2021, due to pandemic situation. While clinical pathologist played a pivotal role in COVID-19 pandemic, they must face complex challenges collectively. Therefore, the main theme of Congress was \u201cUnite for Combatting COVID-19\u201d. The goal of Congress was to share knowledge and experience among country members of the society about COVID-19 situation, issues, strategies, and challenges, as well as education of clinical pathologists in pandemic situation. Two symposiums were held under the main theme in the congress: Symposium I focused on the roles of clinical pathologists in the COVID-19 pandemic and Symposium II focused on adaptations for residential programs of clinical pathologists during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. The Congress toward the post-corona era<\/strong>
        The 17th ASCPaLM Congress took place in October 2022 in Kobe, making a historic moment in the post-corona era for international exchanges 2)<\/sup><\/strong>. The main theme of the congress was the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aimed to address the weakness of communities that the pandemic has exposed. This was an important time to take action and achieve the SDGs in the community that laboratory medicine (clinical pathology) serves, by promoting the innovation, technology transfer, and continuous quality improvement of the laboratory practice to meet requirements in international standards. Laboratory accreditation under the international standard is important as an approach for progress in the goal 3 of SDGs which aspires to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Collaboration and partnership are critical in these efforts. Two symposiums were held under the main theme of SDGs in the congress: Symposium I focused on the impacts of quality laboratory practice on SDGs, and Symposium II focused on preparedness for the next-pandemic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        IV. Perspective and prospects beyond the pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. Personnel development initiative<\/strong>
          Medical laboratories play a crucial role in modern medical practices, as laboratory reported results are integral to physicians\u2019 decision-making processes. They help identify risk factors, screen and detect predispositions to symptomatic diseases, confirm or negate diagnoses, guide patient management, and individually tailor therapy for personalized medicine. Clinical pathologists are expected to take a role in knowledge-integrated services including comprehensive approaches in the diagnosis of diseases and consultation, customer intimacy, leadership in multi-disciplinary team-based medicine, which is laboratory-based and the patient centered9)<\/sup><\/strong>. In order to support the health and well-being of the communities in modern medical practices, it is more important than ever to invest in human resource development in laboratory medicine and take an initiative in an international community.
          In 2017, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Mongolia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote mutual exchange in the fields of clinical pathology and laboratory medicine. MOU aimed facilitate cooperation in education, standardization, and academic presentations. As a result, coordination is currently being underway with Asian countries to share educational classes for clinical pathology residents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Quality laboratory practice to meet requirements of the international standards<\/strong>
          Compliance with international standards such as ISO 15189, which is the requirements for quality and competence of medical laboratories, demonstrates its reliability and objectivity for clinical laboratory, emphasizing an importance of the laboratory accreditation10)<\/sup><\/strong>. There is consistent evidence that shows that accreditation programs improve the process of care provided by healthcare services including clinical trials. The 17th ASCPaLM Congress addressed the importance of quality assurance of medical laboratory service through accreditation under the international standard. The congress also introduced ATLAS (Asian clinical TriaLs network for cAncerS) project, which was started by National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH) in 2020, with support by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) 11)<\/sup><\/strong>. The project aimed to develop a robust Asian Clinical Trials Network, with existing partnerships reinforced in South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, and the clinical trial network expanded to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) such as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The NCCH is sharing its budget with Asian sites to reinforce their clinical trial infrastructure, offering capacity building programs on clinical trials and high-quality genomic profiling test, and proposing several international clinical research. The project includes a system for collecting samples from Asian countries, central pathological review, genomic profiling tests after specimen quality control, and reporting results to the facilities in Asia. Monitoring the quality of specimen and providing feedback to the site for improvement was also implemented. In the era of genomic medicine, it is more important than ever for medical laboratory to be managed by competent personnel and to comply with international standards such as ISO 1518912)<\/sup><\/strong>. Accreditation of medical laboratories that perform genomic profiling tests under ISO 15189 in Asia has been supported by Japan, by implementing an educational course.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Innovation initiative<\/strong>
          Asia is a region that has experienced remarkable economic development, and with this growth, the field of clinical laboratory medicine is also expanding in each country. As a result, the number of participants in academic meetings has increased as well. For example, in 2016, the largest delegate ever in the history with a total of 88 clinical pathologists participated in the 14th ASCPaLM Congress held in Taipei, Taiwan. In Indonesia, the speciality of clinical pathology is ranked highest among medical doctors, followed by surgery, and then internal medicine and other specialities. This reflects the government\u2019s recognition and support of laboratory tests when assessed by a clinical pathologist. In addition to five full-membership countries, each congress includes an increasing number of participants from other Asian countries such as China, Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, and India. Efforts have been made to increase the number of the Board and Council members by recruiting member countries among Asian participants.
          Collaboration with Asian countries is of great significance for the Japanese industry. Due to the declining birthrate and aging population, Japan is experiencing a decline in its working population. The medical industry is expected to improve its international competitiveness as a remaining growth industry in Japan. Many Japanese manufacturers for in vitro diagnostics are aiming to expand their markets overseas, especially in Asia.
          At the 51st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Clinical Laboratory Automation (JSCLA) held in Yokohama, Japan, in October 2019, ASCPaLM collaborated with the Japanese Association of Clinical Laboratory Systems (JACLaS) which supports member companies in promoting their business domestically and overseas 13)<\/sup><\/strong>. To this end, the Asian session with JACLaS was held, and the general exhibition JACLaS EXPO was internationalized for users from Asian countries. At the 17th ASCPaLM Congress held in Kobe, Japan, in 2022, JACLaS had co-sponsored sessions and provided a travel award for foreign scientist presenters. JSLM needs to keep to demonstrate leadership in the activities, leveraging its innovation initiative, particularly through collaboration with industry sectors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Acknowledgements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of the Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine for their dedication to fulfilling its mission and responsibilities, especially the members of the executive committee who oversee its day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
            \n
          1. Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ASCPaLM.
            http:\/\/www.ascpalm1990.org<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. The 17th Congress of Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. http:\/\/ascpalm17.umin.jp<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine
            https:\/\/www.jslm.org<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. Yamada T and Murakami M. Effort for Internationalization of Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine. [in Japanese]. Rinsho Byori, The Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2016; 64(8): 910-5. PubMed<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. WASPaLM. World Association of Societies of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
            https:\/\/www.iso.org\/organization\/9785.html<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Murakami M. Activities of world association of societies of pathology and laboratory medicine (WASPaLM). Rinsyo Byori, The Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2020; 68(2): 98-103.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          7. WHO. Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Updated 31 Jul 2020.
            https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019\/events-as-they-happen<\/a> (Accessed 25 Nov 2022).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          8. The 16th Asian Society for Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Congress. 
            http:\/\/www.ascpalm16th.org<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          9. Miyachi H, Asai S. Roles of Laboratory Physicians in Clinical Laboratory Tests and Physiology. [in Japanese]. Rinsho Byori, The Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology 2019; 67(6): 647-51.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          10. Vanstapel FJLA, Orth M, Streichert T, et al. ISO 15189 is a sufficient instrument to guarantee high-quality manufacture of laboratory developed tests for in-house-use conform requirements of the European In-Vitro-Diagnostics Regulation. Clin Chem Lab Med 2023; 3161(4): 608-26. PubMed<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          11. Terada M, Nakamura K, Matsuda T, et al. A new era of the Asian clinical research network: a report from the ATLAS international symposium. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2023; 29: 53(7):619-28. PubMed<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          12. ISO. ISO 15189:2022. Medical laboratories \u2014 Requirements for quality and competence.
            https:\/\/www.iso.org\/standard\/76677.html<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          13. Japanese Association of Clinical Laboratory Systems.
            https:\/\/jaclas.or.jp\/en\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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