The study, the largest to look at osteoporosis management in men and women over 50 years-old, followed 650,000 men and women in Kaiser Permanente’s osteoporosis management program from 2002-2007 and found hip fractures dropped by 38 percent, in part because of the program improves the management of osteoporosis.
Kaiser Permanente’s osteoporosis management program is one of the leading programs in the country for treating osteoporosis, a disease which affects nearly 10 million people in the United States. The program uses the health system’s electronic medical record system to identify people at risk for hip fractures and then helps ensure they receive regular bone density screenings and medications to manage the disease.
In the study, researchers found that annual bone density screening rates of participants increased by 263 percent from 2002-2007, and the number of participants on anti-osteoporosis medications increased by 153 percent.
“The most important thing an orthopedic surgeon should know about osteoporosis/fracture prevention is that we can take action that helps to prevent hip and other fragility fractures,” Richard M. Dell, MD, the study’s lead author and an orthopedic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Downey, Calif., said in the release. “Simple steps like suggesting calcium and vitamin D for all your patients and bone mineral density testing in patients at higher risk for osteoporosis should be considered part of your daily practice.”
The rate of treatment after a fragility fracture is about 20 percent across the United States, and treatment after a fragility fracture at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California is now 68 percent. According to Dr. Dell, treatment is necessary after experiencing a fragility fracture, and many patients in the United States are not getting the treatment they need to prevent further complications.
Read Kaiser Permanente’s release on the hip fracture study.
