Important update for participants of the 2001 Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel
In 2001, the Department of Defence commissioned the Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel (SHOAMP) to investigate health outcomes in aircraft maintenance personnel who carried out fuel-tank repairs between 1975 and 1999 as part of the F-111 Deseal/Reseal programs.
Some of these personnel volunteered to be participants of the study and donated their blood- serum samples for long-term storage to support the study over time, for example for conducting further testing should scientific developments enable future analysis.
At the time of the study, some participants agreed to their samples being stored for a period of 50 years and were advised that they would be informed of any changes to serum-sample storage arrangements.
To ensure continued long-term storage, and with the support of the SHOAMP Serum Management Committee (of which Air Force Association is a member) serum samples donated by study participants have been moved from their original storage at QML Pathology to state-of-the-art bio-banking facilities at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies has been contracted – with the support of the SHOAMP Serum Management Committee – to manage the on-going storage of the data-linkage key, which contains the information that allows a participant sample to be identified and withdrawn from storage.
Participants can withdraw consent for their sample to be used in further research. Any SHOAMP participant who wishes to withdraw their consent can contact the Australian Institute of Family Studies at shoamp-requests [at] aifs.gov.au (shoamp-requests[at]aifs[dot]gov[dot]au) or complete the online form.
Participant privacy continues to be a primary consideration. At no time has Defence or DVA received identifying participant information. As outlined in the original information provided to study participants, de-identified participant study data is held by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Ethics approvals were granted by the Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs’ Human Research Ethics Committee prior to the changes in SHOAMP storage arrangements.
There is no impact on, or change to, SHOAMP Health Care Scheme entitlements. If you would like more information about these entitlements, please visit the DVA web page about the SHOAMP Health Care Scheme.
For more information, visit the DVA website.