Evaluation of the first Turkish in vitro diagnostic symposium

In vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical laboratory devices, tests and equipment are closely related with public health, patient safety and the safety of all who utilize these tools in laboratories. The close monitoring of the process from the production line to the end-point user is crucial so that IVD devices and tests do not pose a risk to individuals and society. Based on this background, the “First Turkish in vitro Diagnostic Symposium: Medical Laboratory Tests” was held in February, 2016. The symposium was organized by the cooperation of Turkish Biochemical Society, Izmir Branch and Dokuz Eylul University Health Sciences Institute along with the contributions of TurkLab Calibration Association. It was intended that the meeting would shed light on questions such as, ‘What is the place and importance of IVD in Turkey?’, ‘What are the responsibilities of educational institutions?’, ‘What is the role of Ministry of Health?’, with the aim that the answers would help to determine the infrastructure needed for successful production of IVD medical devices in Turkey. At the end of the symposium, feedback from participants were collected via a questionnaire. This article presents the general evaluation of the symposium based on the results of this survey.