Interventions to improve OP management had a significant positive impact on prescription of BMD measurement but a more limited impact on treatment prescription
Osteoporosis ( OP ) is a major public health concern , but still OP care does not meet guidelines .
Interventions have been developed to improve appropriate OP management .
The objective of the present study was to systematic ally review the current literature to ascertain the efficacy of interventions to improve OP care and characterize interventions taking into account elements related to their potential cost and feasibility .
Effect of Self-referral on Bone Mineral Density Testing and Osteoporosis Treatment
Background : Despite national guidelines recommending bone mineral density screening with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry ( DXA ) in women aged 65 years and older , many women do not receive initial screening . Objective : To determine the effectiveness of health system and patient-level interventions design ed to increase appropriate DXA testing and osteoporosis treatment through ( 1 ) an invitation to self-refer for DXA ( self-referral ) ; ( 2 ) self-referral plus patient educational material s ; and ( 3 ) usual care ( UC , physician referral ) . Research Design : Parallel , group-r and omized , controlled trials performed at Kaiser Permanente Northwest ( KPNW ) and Kaiser Permanente Georgia ( KPG ) . Subjects : Women aged 65 years and older without a DXA in past 5 years . Measures : DXA completion rates 90 days after intervention mailing and osteoporosis medication receipt 180 days after initial intervention mailing . Results : From > 12,000 eligible women , those r and omized to self-referral were significantly more likely to receive a DXA than UC ( 13.0%–24.1 % self-referral vs. 4.9%–5.9 % UC , P<0.05 ) . DXA rates did not significantly increase with patient educational material s. Osteoporosis was detected in a greater proportion of self-referral women compared with UC ( P<0.001 ) . The number needed to receive an invitation to result in a DXA in KPNW and KPG regions was approximately 5 and 12 , respectively . New osteoporosis prescription rates were low ( 0.8%–3.4 % ) but significantly greater among self-referral versus UC in KPNW . Conclusions : DXA rates significantly improved with a mailed invitation to schedule a scan without physician referral . Providing women the opportunity to self-refer may be an effective , low-cost strategy to increase access for recommended osteoporosis screening
Interventions to improve OP management had a significant positive impact on prescription of BMD measurement but a more limited impact on treatment prescription
Osteoporosis ( OP ) is a major public health concern , but still OP care does not meet guidelines .
Interventions have been developed to improve appropriate OP management .
The objective of the present study was to systematic ally review the current literature to ascertain the efficacy of interventions to improve OP care and characterize interventions taking into account elements related to their potential cost and feasibility .