Conclusions All interventions produced positive effects on BMD scanning and osteoporosis treatment rates post-fracture .
Despite sizeable increases , investigation and treatment rates remain sub-optimal .
Background There is a large quality of care gap for patients with osteoporosis .
As a fragility fracture is a strong indicator of underlying osteoporosis , it offers an ideal opportunity to initiate investigation and treatment .
However , studies of post-fracture population s document screening and treatment rates below 20 % in most setting s. This is despite the fact that bone mineral density ( BMD ) scans are effective at identifying patients at high risk of fracture , and effective drug treatments are widely available .
Effective interventions are required to remedy this incongruity in current practice .
HipWatch: osteoporosis investigation and treatment after a hip fracture: a 6-month randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE We aim ed to determine whether a novel Patient Empowerment and Physician Alerting ( PEPA ) intervention would improve the proportion of seniors who were investigated and treated for osteoporosis after hip fracture . METHODS We undertook a 6-month r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) in 48 women and men > /= 60 years old who had suffered a hip fracture and were admitted to a tertiary-care university hospital . The primary outcome measure was the proportion of participants offered one or more osteoporosis-specific ' best practice s ' measured using the Diagnosis and Management Question naire ( DMQ ) . Participant responses were vali date d in part by physician report . RESULTS In the PEPA intervention group , 19 ( 68 % ) were offered one or more components of best practice care  compared with 7 ( 35 % ) in the ' usual care ' group ( p < .05 ) . In the PEPA group , 15 ( 54 % ) ( p < .01 ) were prescribed  bisphosphonate therapy  , 8 ( 29 % ) ( p < .01 ) had a bone mineral density scan , 11 ( 39 % ) were prescribed calcium and vitamin D ( p = .32 ) , and 9 ( 32 % ) ( p < .01 ) were prescribed exercise .  In the usual care group , 0 ( 0 % ) were prescribed  bisphosphonate therapy , a  bone mineral density assessment , or exercise  and 6 ( 30 % ) were prescribed calcium and vitamin D. CONCLUSIONS This simple , inexpensive PEPA intervention result ed in far superior clinical management than did usual care in a population at high risk of future hip fracture
Conclusions All interventions produced positive effects on BMD scanning and osteoporosis treatment rates post-fracture .
Despite sizeable increases , investigation and treatment rates remain sub-optimal .
Background There is a large quality of care gap for patients with osteoporosis .
As a fragility fracture is a strong indicator of underlying osteoporosis , it offers an ideal opportunity to initiate investigation and treatment .
However , studies of post-fracture population s document screening and treatment rates below 20 % in most setting s. This is despite the fact that bone mineral density ( BMD ) scans are effective at identifying patients at high risk of fracture , and effective drug treatments are widely available .
Effective interventions are required to remedy this incongruity in current practice .