Quality management: the key to achievement for the BreastScreen Australia Programme

The BreastScreen Australia Programme commenced in 1991. Since then a national network of breast cancer screening services has been established.

The Programme is underpinned by a quality management infrastructure with national and State/Territory roles and responsibilities. All BreastScreen Australia services must comply with National Accreditation Standards. To monitor quality at the service, State and National level, all services collect the National Minimum Dataset using the National Data Dictionary. Monitoring and Evaluation Plans are being implemented with annual reporting undertaken by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A key evaluation project commissioned by the Programme is the mortality study.

During the period 1996–2001 BreastScreen Australia screened over 4.5 million women, and has consistently maintained cancer detection rates and detection rates for small cancers at or above minimum standards set for services to achieve.

Since the commencement of the BreastScreen Australia Programme there has been a 23.7% reduction in the death rate from breast cancer in women aged 50–69 years. The 5-year survival rate after diagnosis from breast cancer increased from 72.3% during 1982–1986 to 84% between 1992 and 1997.

This presentation will outline of the quality management infrastructure and key achievements of BreastScreen Australia.