Geschäftsstelle der ÖGLMKC: Infomedica KEG, Tullnertalgasse 72, A-1230 Wien
Tel & Fax: +43/(0)1-889 62 38; office@oeglmkc.at; www.oeglmkc.at
Austrian Society of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry
Andrea Griesmacher
On December 12, 1968 the Austrian Society of Clinical Chemistry was founded. The first
president was Theodor Leipert (1902 – 1992). In order to identify the work of the Society on a
local basis, local branches were opened in Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Salzburg and Vienna on
the initiative of Hans Grunicke (Innsbruck). It is the responsibility of the local branches to
organize seminars and meetings to enable local members to be actively involved in the
Society. Thanks to Hans Grunicke and Bernd Puschendorf the local branch in Innsbruck
developed in the most active one. On the occasion of the 7th IFCC Congress in Geneva in
1969 the OEGKC became a member of the IFCC.
In 1969 the Society introduced the methods of statistical quality control in Austria in
cooperation with the Institute of Medical Chemistry at the University of Vienna. In 1980 the
organisation of the national surveys was taken over by OEQUASTA (Austrian Society for
Quality Assurance and Standardization of Medical Laboratory Investigation). Due to the large
number of laboratories run by general practitioners in Austria, the number of participants in
clinical chemistry surveys increased to more than 2000.
International contacts were intensified by holding several joint meetings with other European
Societies. In 1981, the 11th IFCC Congress took place in Vienna. The congress was
organized by Erich Kaiser, Franz Gabl, Mathias M. Mueller and Peter Michael Bayer. It was
generally acknowledged that this congress was a big success and contributed to furthering
the international reputation of the Society. The 11th IFCC Congress was followed by
numerous national and international congresses and conferences (for instant clinical
enzymology, purines and pyrimdines, etc.), which have substantially increased the exchange
of information on an international basis.
The Austrian Society of Laboratory Medicine (OEGLM) was founded in 1973. Its primary goal
was to support and promote private professionalism of Laboratory Medicine. The OEGLM
was a member in the Medical Association of Austria and became a member of WASP. The
OEGLM developed postpromotional educational training programmes. Most of them were
joined by OEGKC. For several years OEGLM and OEGKC were organizing joint national
meetings in Austria.
Thus it was a logical consequence to unify both societies in order to create a stronger
national society open for laboratory professionals irrespective of their academic background.
Finally on January 1, 2005 both societies joined their forces and formed the Austrian Society
of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry (OEGLMKC) integrating national and
international responsibilities of the two forerunner societies. The OEGLMKC is now the full
member society of IFCC and the WASPaLM (World Association of Societies of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine). The society is a voluntary nonprofit scientific and professional
society with the main objective to stimulate and support laboratory diagnostics as an
important field in medicine in Austria and globally. In addition to local initiatives its activities
include scientific corporations with societies of neighbouring countries resulting in a joint
congress with the German Society of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL) in
Vienna 2007 and participation in the Swissmedlab 2008 in Montreux. In 2009 Innsbruck will
be hosting the European Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. ÖGLMKC Website