QAAMS – A Potted History of Key Events and Achievements
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- In 1998, the National Diabetes Strategy recommended that a trial of the DCA 2000 point-of-care analyser be conducted in Aboriginal Medical Services around Australia to ‘assess its usefulness, safety and reliability as a tool to assist diabetes management’.
- In June 1999, the QAAMS Program for HbA1c testing on the DCA 2000 commenced as a pilot in 45 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and was funded through a contract with the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing.
- In mid 2000, the QAAMS HbA1c Program received international recognition by winning Bayer HealthCare’s global award for ‘innovation in quality management’.
- In December 2000, the QAAMS contract with the Department of Health and Ageing was extended from January 2001 to December 2002.
- In December 2000, the Federal Minister for Health (Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge) approved a Medicare rebate for HbA1c testing conducted by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services participating in the QAAMS Program.
- In March 2001, the QAAMS Program was independently evaluated by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (NACCHO).
Brice G, Daley L, Bellis-Smith N. From 'Major Threat' to 'Major Opportunity'? Pilot Project to Assess the Use of On-site Haemoglobin A1c Testing for Managing Persons with Diabetes (using the Bayer DCA 2000 analyser) in Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services: June 1999 to August 2000. National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, 2001.
- In November 2001, the first Annual QAAMS Workshop was held in Adelaide.
- In June 2002, the QAAMS contract with the Department of Health and Ageing was extended from January 2003 to December 2005. With the signing of this contract:
- The eligibility criteria for participation in the QAAMS program was expanded to include State and Territory-funded Aboriginal medical services.
- Urine ACR point-of-care testing on the DCA 2000 was approved as part of the QAAMS Program (with the Government initially capping the number of participating services at 30).
- In January 2003, the QAAMS Urine ACR Program commenced in 30 Aboriginal medical services.
- In July 2003, the Annual QAAMS Workshop was held at the Centre for Remote Health, Alice Springs for the first time. At this Workshop a logo for the QAAMS Program was launched. The logo was designed by James Baban, the Indigenous Policy Officer for Medicare Australia. If you wish to know more about the story behind James’ design, click here.
- During 2003, the Western Pacific island of Tonga joined the QAAMS Program as its first international participant (with the approval of the Australian Government).
- In July 2005, a poster on the QAAMS Program was presented at the XIX International Congress of Clinical Chemistry IFCC/AACC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry/American Association of Clinical Chemistry) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, USA. The poster won:
- a National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) Distinguished Abstract Award, and
- the prestigious AACC (American Association of Clinical Chemistry) Critical and Point-of-Care Testing Division’s Annual Meeting Abstract Award.
- During late 2005, a second independent evaluation of the QAAMS Program was conducted for the Department of Health and Ageing by Campbell Research and Consulting, Melbourne, with their final report approved by the Government in May 2006. This report included a long-term evaluation framework for the QAAMS Program.
- In December 2005, the QAAMS contract with the Department of Health and Ageing was extended from January 2006 to July 2009. With the signing of this contract, approval was given to:
- Establish a QAAMS Leaders Group, comprising a senior Indigenous POCT operator from each State to provide an on-going Indigenous viewpoint on the Program and to ensure the Program remained culturally appropriate.
- Expand the number of participating services conducting both HbA1c and urine ACR testing to a maximum of 100.
- In June 2006, the Federal Minister for Health (Hon Tony Abbott) approved a Medicare rebate for Urine ACR testing conducted by Aboriginal Medical Services participating in the QAAMS Program.
- In October 2006, the first meeting of the QAAMS Leaders Group was held in Alice Springs.
- In June 2007, the QAAMS website, which was written by Mark Shephard and designed by Christopher Carapetis from Flinders University, was launched.
