Tool strengthens clinicians’ ability to diagnose, manage, and treat patients with osteoporosis and related fractures.
May 1, 2024 (Arlington, VA) – The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (“BHOF”), together with AvoMD, a software platform that translates clinical evidence into the workflow, has developed a decision support toolkit to support clinicians in the prevention, risk assessment, and treatment of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures.
The toolkit includes digitized and actionable versions of BHOF’s Clinician Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis and the Osteoporosis and Fracture Risk Evaluation Tool (Radically Simple Tool) for fracture risk estimation.
Claire Gill, CEO of BHOF, describes the motivation behind the collaboration: “Osteoporosis is a condition that requires timely and accurate diagnosis and management to prevent debilitating fractures. By making the guidelines more accessible and user-friendly for clinicians, we can significantly enhance the quality of care provided and improve patient outcomes. Equipping frontline clinicians with practical tools to effectively implement these guidelines will have a profound impact on reducing the burden of osteoporosis and improving the overall bone health of individuals globally.”
Translating clinical expertise into the workflow
The clinical decision support tool, developed by BHOF with support from AvoMD, is intended for use by primary care providers and specialists assisting in the treatment and management of osteoporosis, such as rheumatologists, endocrinologists, geriatricians, and orthopedists.
Guideline-based treatment of osteoporosis is essential
Osteoporosis is the most prevalent metabolic bone disease globally. It is estimated that 12.3 million Americans have osteoporosis, with 2 million new cases per year of osteoporotic fracture per year (and growing).[1] Osteoporosis remains a disease that is underdiagnosed and undertreated despite the potentially lethal consequences of fractures.[2] As many as 80–95% of patients in some practice settings are discharged following hip fracture repair with no anti fracture treatment or management plan.[3],[4],[5] The osteoporosis treatment gap (difference between number meeting treatment indications and number receiving treatment) is recognized globally as a crisis in patient care.
Effective diagnosis and management of osteoporosis necessitates actionable guidelines that can be readily applied at the point-of-care. By equipping clinicians with standardized, accessible and workflow-compatible screening and diagnostic strategies, the toolkit empowers accurate diagnosis, risk assessment, and identification of individuals at risk of fractures. Additionally, it facilitates evidence-based intervention and treatment options personalized to individual patient needs. By implementing the toolkit, clinicians can optimize care, reducing fracture risk and improving outcomes for patients with osteoporosis.
Dr. Joongheum Park, MD, Chairman and Head of Product at AvoMD, said, “As an internal medicine physician myself, I see a wide variety of patients and clinical issues. Easy access to osteoporosis expertise in mine and my peers’ workflow is essential to ensuring high quality care, and partnering with the leading authority in bone health will improve clinician efficiency and most importantly, patient outcomes.”
For more information on customizing the toolkit and/or EHR integration, please contact info@avomd.io.
About AvoMD
AvoMD’s clinician support platform empowers healthcare organizations to standardize care by effortlessly incorporating guidelines and protocols into the clinical workflow. By centralizing the latest information and transforming it into actionable tools in the EHR (or outside of it), AvoMD simplifies everyday tasks like documentation, ordering, and decision-making for clinicians. At AvoMD, we improve quality of care with love, not alerts. Reach out to info@avomd.io to learn more.
About BHOF
Established in 1984, the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to promoting strong bones for life, preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy, and research. For more information on the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, visit bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
Media Contact:
Carina May
cmay@bonehealthandosteoporosis.org
[1] Viswanathan M, Reddy S, Berkman N et al (2018) Screening to prevent osteoporotic fractures: updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA 319(24):2532–2551
[2] Office of the Surgeon General (US) (2004) Bone health and osteoporosis: a report of the Surgeon General. Office of the SurgeonGeneral (US), Rockville
[3] Roerholt C, Eiken P, Abrahamsen B (2009) Initiation of antiosteoporotic therapy in patients with recent fractures: a nationwide analysis of prescription rates and persistence. Osteoporos Int 20(2):299–307
[4] Liu SK, Munson JC, Bell JE et al (2013) Quality of osteoporosis care of older Medicare recipients with fragility fractures: 2006 to 2010. J Am Geriatr Soc 61(11):1855–1862
[5] Kim SC, Kim MS, Sanfélix-Gimeno G et al (2015) Use of osteoporosis medications after hospitalization for hip fracture: a crossnational study. Am J Med 128(5):519–26.e1. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.amjmed.2015.01.014