It is also our ambition to create soon the premises of a project aimed at establishing national sera and DNA data-banks. These banks of biological samples will allow European investigators testing in appropriate studies the clinical value of biochemical and genetic markers of kidney diseases and related complications. It is certainly not an easy task but we are exploring the opportunity for joining forces with existing networks of European investigators. It is also important emphasising that a major goal of our mission is that of allowing decentralised epidemiologic research. The Amsterdam staff, composed of first class scientists, may guide and coordinate research programs.

However, we feel that the most rewarding achievement we may attain is that of seeing first class projects blossoming in the organizational framework of the QUEST initiative. We should be aware that the task of establishing high-quality clinical databases, including major Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) is difficult because these measures pose standardization problems. In fact, CPMs are already systematically collected by some renal registries but the timing, the method of measurement and the frequency of such measurements vary considerably. Some registries are in the verge of starting the collection of CPM increasing the existent inter-registries variability.

Thus data collection requires careful preparatory work. We envisage this preparatory work (standardization criteria according to guidelines) to be developed by a special committee composed of national experts nominated by National societies and National registries (National registries are and will remain the centre of gravity of the ERA-EDTA Registry) together with internationally recognised experts (working group leaders). Presently we are trying to raise funding for the QUEST conference.

We are confident to prepare such a conference either immediately before or after the Istanbul congress.

I will give further news on this conference in forthcoming newsletters.