All Aboriginal Health Workers and allied health professionals take part in formal training provided by the Flinders CPS unit to learn about:

• the theory of POCT,
• how to conduct POCT on clients with diabetes, and
• how to perform regular quality checks on the performance of their DCA 2000/Vantage device.

A training resource package is also provided, which includes a training manual and supporting posters that summarise specific aspects of the program.

As a requirement of the Australian Government, all trainees are required to undertake a written and practical competency assessment after which they receive a Certificate of Competency as a trained POCT operator. A Register of Competent POCT Operators is maintained for the Government and it is a mandatory requirement of the QAAMS Program that POCT must only be conducted by these qualified and trained operators.

The QAAMS Program provides a variety of training opportunities for enrolled participants:

• On-site training for individual Indigenous medical services (or groups of services from a similar geographic region)
• An Annual QAAMS Training Workshop
• Training by videoconference
• A live web-streamed video presentation of training in conjuntion with Training DVDs.

The mode of training undertaken is decided collaboratively between the QAAMS Training Co-ordinator and the health service, depending on the immediacy of service’s training needs.

Training via video conference

 
QAAMS Training by video conference for Walgett AMS, Walgett NSW; May 2006