BERLIN, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFCC) and Abbott's Labs Are Vital today presented its Award for Excellence in Outcomes Research in Laboratory Medicine to researchers from the University of Sheffield School of Health Related Research in the United Kingdom. The team, led by Steve W. Goodacre, Ph.D., was recognized for its scientific article published in Heart titled "The Randomized Assessment of Treatment Using Panel Assay of Cardiac Markers" that showed the use of point of care (POC) cardiac biomarkers resulted in shorter hospital stays and increased the number of patients successfully discharged after emergency department assessments.

Dr. Goodacre and his co-authors - Mike Bradburn, Elizabeth Cross, Paul Collinson, Alasdair Gray and Alistair Hall - investigated whether testing with POC cardiac biomarkers would increase the rate of successful patient discharges following emergency department exams of individuals presenting with chest pains. More than 2,200 suspected myocardial infarction patients in the U.K. were studied.

In the article, the authors noted the rise of hospital admissions has been described by the National Health Service as a problem that could bankrupt the U.K. health care system. The study explored the potential benefit of using POC biomarkers to lower the admission rate of chest pain patients, who account for about 25 percent of patients admitted from the emergency department. POC testing for cardiac biomarkers can substantially reduce turnaround time and transmit results rapidly to attending emergency department staff.

The study concluded that POC cardiac assessments resulted in a greater proportion of patients being successfully discharged after emergency department assessments and also reduced the median length of initial hospital stays.

"Dr. Goodacre and his team have highlighted the vital role laboratory scientists play every day in diagnosing and preventing disease and in applying advanced diagnostic technologies to help assure favorable outcomes for patients," said Kathy Turner, divisional vice president, Abbott Diagnostics.

The research team received an award and a euro 15,000 honorarium.

The EFCC/Labs Are Vital Award for Excellence in Outcomes Research in Laboratory Medicine Award was created in 2009 to recognize outstanding published research demonstrating favorable clinical or economic outcomes from the use of an in vitro diagnostic test. Applications are judged by a panel of judges selected by the EFCC Scientific Committee. Entries must be authored by an individual or group working wholly or mainly in Europe and published in English in a peer-reviewed medical, scientific or economic journal. The biennial award will be presented again in Milan at the 2013 EUROMEDLAB Congress.

"The partnership between medical laboratory professionals and physicians is critical for improving patient care," said Andrea Rita Horvath, Ph.D., president of EFCC. "This award showcases this important relationship because it recognizes the significant role that laboratory science can have on improving medical and economic health system outcomes, resulting in better patient care."

About Labs Are Vital

Sponsored by Abbott Diagnostics, Labs Are Vital is a multi-year, multi-faceted education and awareness program. It is designed to elevate the status of lab professionals within the health care community and the general public, address the issues that face the profession today, and serve as a community for professionals to exchange ideas and get new information. The program has a variety of Web-based resources for laboratory professionals, which focus attention on the life-saving work medical laboratory scientists provide in diagnosing disease and improving health outcomes.

Labs Are Vital is a cooperative venture created and sponsored by Abbott in partnership with the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and supported by several national and international organizations representing laboratory professionals, such as the College of American Pathologists, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS), American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) and ASCP.

About EFCC

EFCC is the regional Federation of the IFCC (International Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine), connecting National Societies of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in Europe (defined according to WHO) and creating a platform for all specialists working in the field. EFCC provides European leadership in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine to national professional societies, to the diagnostic industry and to governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to serve the public interest in health care. For more information on EFCC visit www.efcclm.eu.

About Abbott

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at http://www.abbott.com.

SOURCE Abbott