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Prof Guy Marks Director of ACAM 
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ACAM was established in 2002 in the Woolcock as a collaborating unit of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). It aims to assist in reducing the burden of asthma in Australia by developing, collating and interpreting data relevant to asthma prevention, management and health policy
• Monitoring asthma during pregnancy June 2013 • Long-term oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation for people with COPD in Australia June, 2013
Vaccination uptake among people with chronic respiratory disease (released December 2012) Research has shown that vaccinations against influenza and pneumococcal infection can benefit people with obstructive airways disease, which includes asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This report reviews the limited information available in Australia on how many people with asthma and COPD have the vaccination, and finds that the uptake rate is not as high as would be expected if recommendations were being followed. It presents a range of data improvement options that would enhance our ability to monitor vaccination uptake in this and other at-risk population groups.
Medications prescribed for people with obstructive airways disease Antibiotics and inhaled corticosteroids (released November 2012)
Appropriate use of medications is important in maximising health benefits for patients, minimising the negative effects of medications, and controlling health costs. This report focuses on the appropriate use of certain medications for the management of obstructive airways disease, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data in this report suggest that antibiotics are commonly used among patients with asthma and COPD, and that supply patterns for inhaled corticosteroids are often not consistent with treatment guidelines for the management of these conditions.
Asthma in Australia 2011 (Released October 2011). Asthma is an important health problem in Australia. This report brings together data from a wide range of sources to describe the current status of Asthma in Australia. It includes information on the number of people who have asthma and who visit their general practitioner, are hospitalised or die due to asthma. Time trends and profiles of people who receive various treatments for asthma are also presented, along with information on those who have written asthma action plans. In addition, comorbidities and quality of life among people with asthma are also investigated. This report also includes a chapter that focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australians aged 55 years and over.
Time trends and geographical variation in hospital re-admissions for asthma (Released March 2011) Hospital re-admission rates are an indicator of the quality of health-care provision and have important implications for policy makers and health care planners. This report examines the overall rate of re-admissions for asthma within 28 days in Australia, looking at time trends and differences according to age, sex, socioeconomic status and remoteness of residence
Asthma in Australian children: findings from Growing up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (Released October 2009) Within the first three years of life, 16.9% of infants experience asthma or wheeze. Among non-asthmatic children aged 4 to 5 years, 4.1% will develop asthma by the 7th year of life.These and other new insights into the incidence, natural progression and outcomes associated with childhood asthma are presented in this report, based on analysis of Growing up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
Burden of disease due to asthma in Australia 2003 (Released September 2009) In 2003 asthma was the leading cause of burden of disease in Australian children, contributing 17.4% of total DALYs and the eleventh-leading contributor to the overall burden of disease in Australia, accounting for 2.4% of the total number of DALYs. Asthma also contributed a substantial proportion to the Indigenous health gap in the burden of non-communicable conditions. It is predicted that asthma will continue to rank as one of the major causes of disease burden in Australia for the next 2 decades, particularly among females.
Report - Asthma in Australian children: Findings from Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (Released in October 2009). Within the first three years of life, 16.9% of infants experience asthma or wheeze. Among non-asthmatic children aged 4 to 5 years, 4.1% will develop asthma by the 7th year of life. These and other new insights into the incidence, natural progression and outcomes associated with childhood asthma are presented in this report, based on analysis of Growing up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
Report - Burden of disease due to asthma in Australia 2003 (Released in September 2009). In 2003 asthma was the leading cause of burden of disease in Australian children, contributing 17.4% of total DALYs and the eleventh-leading contributor to the overall burden of disease in Australia, accounting for 2.4% of the total number of DALYs. Asthma also contributed a substantial proportion to the Indigenous health gap in the burden of non-communicable conditions. It is predicted that asthma will continue to rank as one of the major causes of disease burden in Australia for the next 2 decades, particularly among females.
Journal article - Cost is a major barrier to use of inhaled corticosteroids for obstructive airways disease in Medical Journal of Australia (21 September 2009). Ampon RD, Reddel HK, Correll PK, Poulos LM and Marks GB 191(6):319-23.
e-report - Refining national asthma indicators: Delphi survey and correlation analysis (Released in July 2009). This report is the result of a systematic review undertaken by the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) to refine and simplify asthma monitoring in Australia. A Delphi survey and correlation analysis were used to review the currently recommended list of 24 national asthma indicators in order to identify a smaller set of core indicators which provide the most important and relevant information and which are more effective at signalling change for future asthma monitoring activities.
Editorial - Asthma in older adults: a holistic, person-centred and problem-oriented approach in Medical Journal of Australia (17 August 2009). Marks GB, Poulos LM, Jenkins CR and Gibson PG 191(4):197–9.
Editorial - Asthma in Indigenous Australians: so much yet to do for Indigenous lung health in Medical Journal of Australia (May 2009). Jenkins CR, Chang AB, Poulos LM and Marks GB 190(10):530–1,
Report – Asthma in Australia 2008: (released in October 2008).
Prof Guy Marks BMedSci MBBS PhD MRCP FRACP FAFPHM Director of ACAM
Ms Leanne Poulos MPH(Hons) BMedSc(Hons) Project Manager
Ms Rosario Ampon BSc MAppStat Analyst Statistician
Prof Helen Reddel MBBS PhD FRACP Clinical Adviser
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