The 39th International Symposium on Technical Innovations in Laboratory Hematology (ISLH) took place April 17–19, 2026, in Edinburgh, Scotland. This global forum brings together laboratory hematology professionals to exchange scientific advancements, emerging technologies, and best practices in clinical laboratory hematology. The program included plenary lectures, oral presentations, and poster sessions across areas such as cellular analysis, hemostasis, flow cytometry, molecular diagnostics, and quality assurance.

IQMH Proficiency Testing (PT), in collaboration with Accreditation Canada and members of the IQMH Scientific Committees, presented a poster titled Raising Awareness of Emerging Pathogens through Morphology Proficiency Testing. The work was based on findings from an  October 2024 PT survey focused on laboratory practices and the identification of blood-borne pathogens through blood film review.

The survey increased awareness of Babesia and highlighted both strengths and gaps in morphologic recognition across participating laboratories. Educational resources, including annotated images, supported differentiation of Babesia from Plasmodium, reinforcing diagnostic accuracy in routine practice.

This work also informed updates to an Accreditation Canada Diagnostics requirement. Previously limited to malaria, the requirement includes additional blood‑borne microorganisms such as Babesia, microfilaria, Anaplasma, and Trypanosoma. The expanded scope strengths expectations for laboratory readiness and supports patient safety.

The poster generated strong interest from attendees and created an opportunity to showcase IQMH’s PT work to an international audience. Engagement from laboratory professionals both within Canada and globally reinforced IQMH’s leadership in quality and education in laboratory medicine.

Poster authors:
Anna Johnston¹, Alex Kumaritakis¹, Tess Koerner², Antoine Corbeil³, David Good^4
1Institute for Quality Management In Healthcare, Toronto, ON, Canada²Accreditation Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada³Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada⁴Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada

Left to right: Dr. David Good Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston ON and Dr. Maryam Pourabdollah,  IQMH Hematology Scientific Committee	Left to right: Anna Johnston – Program Manager, Quality and Proficiency Testing (IQMH) and Dr. David Good
Left to right: An attendee from Vancouver, BC and  Dr. David Good	Left to right: Dr. Ruth Padmore, Ottawa University and past chair of the IQMH Hematology Scientific Committee