Governance

Management & Staff

The AOA National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) is an initiative of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA). At the time it was established, the Federal Board of the AOA established an AOA Registry Committee with the aim to maintain and enhance the quality of the core activities of the AOA National Joint Replacement Registry. This committee is a standing committee of and reports directly to the AOA Board of Directors.

Members of the committee include the Chair (who is nominated by the AOA Board of Directors), the Registry Clinical Director, the AOA President, Vice President, 2nd Vice President, AOA Research Committee Chair, an orthopaedic surgeon from each state and territory, representatives of specialty groups. The current members of the committee are:

Observers to the Committee

In Attendance

The Clinical Director of the AOANJRR, who is appointed by the AOA Board, is responsible for the day-to-day clinical and data management with the assistance of the Deputy Clinical Directors and Assistant Deputy Clinical Directors (also appointed by the AOA Board). In addition, the AOA employs an Executive Manager Registry Services who manages the corporate, administrative and business functions of the Registry.

The South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), is currently contracted by the AOA to provide data management and analysis services to the AOANJRR.

AOANJRR Key Contacts

Federal Quality Assurance Activity Legislation

The AOANJRR was first declared a Quality Assurance Activity (QAA) in 1999.  The declaration was renewed in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and for a further five-year period in 2022. It is necessary for the AOANJRR to renew the declaration every five years however the information collected is protected by the QAA legislation indefinitely. 

The Quality Assurance legislation is part of the Health Insurance Act of 1973.  This act was amended in 1992 to include quality assurance confidentiality.  The Act operates on the underlying assumption that quality assurance activities are in the public interest.  A declaration as a quality assurance activity by the Commonwealth Minister of Health and Aged Care prohibits the disclosure of information which identifies individual patients or health care providers, that is known solely as a result of the declared quality assurance activity.  It is not possible to provide identifying information to any individual or organisation including the government.

To encourage efficient quality assurance activities "Part VC-Quality Assurance Confidentiality" contains the following provisions:

1. Prohibiting:
2. 1. The disclosure of information that became known solely as a result of those activities;
      or
   2. The production to a court of a document that was brought into existence solely for the purposes of those activities; and
2. Protecting certain persons engaging in those activities in good faith from civil liability in respect of those activities.

The protection provided by the declaration assures patients, surgeons, hospitals and government that information supplied to the AOANJRR remains confidential and secure.