IFCC - Communications and Publications Division (CPD)

The Communications and Publications Division (CPD), reports to the Executive Board and is responsible for all of the communication and publication activities of the IFCC.

The CPD is composed of an Executive Committee, a Committee on Public Relations (C-PR), a Committee on Internet and Digital Communications (C-IDC), and Working Groups for each CPD program. Ad hoc task forces for specific projects can also be formed.

The aim of the CPD is to communicate the work of the IFCC to clinical scientists, physicians and health policy- makers world-wide, and to provide continuing education in printed and electronic forms. The CPD publishes the eJIFCC, IFCC News and educational tools including scientific monographs. The CPD coordinates translations of important documents into languages other than English. The CPD is responsible for the coordination of the Internet activities of the IFCC, primarily through the IFCC web site. This includes preparation and promotion of the IFCC website, establishment of links between relevant resources and the production and participation in Internet and online educational courses designed to promote the IFCC.

In addition, the CPD publishes the eJournal of the Federation (eJIFCC) on the web, IFCC recommendations and documents in a formal collaboration with the journal Clinica Chimica Acta (CCA) and other international journals in the field. The CPD uses electronic communication to facilitate the availability of IFCC documents to all members at no cost. All IFCC publications are copyrighted by IFCC.

Chair: Prof Tahir PILLAY (ZA)

Public Relations Coordinator: Prof Rajiv ERASMUS (ZA)

News Editor: Dr Katherina PSARRA (GR)

Publications/Distance Learning Coordinator: Dr. Eduardo FREGGIARO (AR)

Editor eJIFCC: Prof. János KAPPELMAYER (HU)

Corporate Representative: Dr. Tricia RAVALICO (US)

CPD Mission Statement

It is the mission of the CPD to:

• Communicate the work of the IFCC to clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and health care policy makers worldwide.
• Provide educational material to clinical chemists in both printed and electronic forms. Much of the work done by the Education and Management Division and the Scientific Division is published after approval and assistance of the CPD. The National Societies and Full Members, Corporate and Affiliate Members are the target audience for all IFCC publications.
• Promote the image of the IFCC to its individual members, to the biomedical industry and to the world-wide health care community at large.

Strategy

The major objectives of this division are to:

• Define the types of communication and of multimedia training that might be relevant to IFCC members and act as a central point for access to existing information sources, notably those coming from Committees, Working Groups, National Societies and Corporate Members.
• Identify, evaluate and ensure continuing technical awareness of communications methods.
• Develop new products, such as the web-site, virtual book-store and ecommerce.
• Together with other Divisions, to make widely available new techniques for professional training, such as self-training materials, tutorials and other distance learning (web based) programs.
• Prepare and provide the most appropriate supporting techniques for widespread use of the new teaching techniques.

Members of CPD Executive Committee and Terms of Appointment

Terms of reference

The CPD Executive Committee is responsible:

• for carrying out public relations policy as it affects production of material to be used for enhancing the professional image of the IFCC
• for the e-JIFCC and the publication process of the IFCC publications
• for the recognition of the IFCC and its activities by establishing and maintaining an IFCC world wide web site
• to the EB and Council to ensure the highest performance standards of its units, and for the activities of its members

The CPD-EC will ensure the progress of each project and publication and will review on an annual basis the contributions of the members of each functional unit.
The CPD is responsible for the continued production of the IFCC Handbook and the Annual Report.
A function of the CPD-EC is to coordinate the publication of all IFCC recommendations, position papers and documents.
The Publications & Distance Learning Coordinator is the liaison to the Editorial Board of Clinica Chimica Acta (CCA).
A register of documents, which catalogues all publications of IFCC, is maintained.