Take Action to Improve Post Fracture Care for National Osteoporosis Month

ARLINGTON, Va., May 1, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Every two minutes, someone in the US breaks their hip. After suffering an osteoporotic fracture, the likelihood of suffering another fracture increases three to five times, yet currently only about one-quarter of patients are evaluated and treated for osteoporosis after their first osteoporotic fracture. For National Osteoporosis Month this May, the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) is urging its members and healthcare providers across the county to take two minutes each day to address the current osteoporosis care gap that is leaving millions of patients at high risk for repeat and potentially life-altering fractures.

"It is no longer acceptable for patients to be treated for fractures and released from medical care without assessment and interventions to reduce their risk of a repeat fracture," said Kenneth Saag, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, NOF President and NBHA Co-Chair. "Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) programs identify and appropriately treat post-fracture patients to reduce their risk of suffering future fractures, making it a great approach to reducing the number of expensive and serious recurrent fractures currently prevalent in the US."

Only 23 percent of women over age 67 who have suffered a hip or other type of fracture are tested or treated for osteoporosis, and 25 percent of patients who break their hip die within the first year. It currently costs $19 billion annually to treat fractures among seniors (a figure projected to increase to over $25 billion by the year 2025), yet the majority of patients are released without being evaluated for osteoporosis — the underlying disease which may have led to the fracture.  

This month, for National Osteoporosis Month, NBHA is offering a variety of tools and resources its members and healthcare providers can use in two minutes or less to take action on post-fracture care. From sharing patient videos to raise awareness of FLS as the solution to closing the current osteoporosis care gap, to requesting an NBHA one-on-one consultation or signing up for the NBHA Bone Health FLS ECHO Series to get the support needed to start a new FLS program, the two minute activities all help drive increased FLS implementation and spotlight its success in preventing secondary fractures.

"Untreated osteoporosis is a public health crisis and it is critical that physicians and other healthcare providers take action now to start evaluating and treating patients who have sustained an osteoporotic fracture," said Dr. Robert Adler, Professor of Internal Medicine, Epidemiology and Community Health, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Chief, Endocrinology and Metabolism, McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and NBHA Co-Chair. "With our commitment to secondary fracture prevention, we can close the current 70-80 percent care gap for testing and treating patients over age 50 who experience a fracture."

Visit NBHA.org to learn more about the Fracture Liaison Service model of care and for the activities you can do in two minutes or less to take action to improve post fracture care for National Osteoporosis Month.

About the National Bone Health Alliance

Established in 2010, the National Bone Health Alliance is a public-private partnership that brings together the expertise and resources of various partners across a broad spectrum to promote bone health and prevent disease; improve diagnosis and treatment of bone disease; and enhance bone research, surveillance and evaluation. NBHA is a platform that allows all voices in the bone health community to work together to advance common priorities and develop projects that can become reality through pooled funding. With 55 members and liaisons representing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NBHA works to achieve a shared vision: to improve the overall health and quality of life of all Americans by enhancing their bone health. For more information on NBHA, visit www.nbha.org.

Contact: Debbie Zeldow
(703) 647-3008
[email protected]

SOURCE National Bone Health Alliance

Related Links

http://www.nbha.org