3 major priorities in new National Strategic Action Plan for Osteoporosis

Bone health

By Michael Woodhead

1 Apr 2019

Embedding systems to address secondary fracture prevention in hospital and primary care settings is one of the key action points in a draft National Strategic Action Plan for Osteoporosis.

Released by Osteoporosis Australia, the Action Plan also includes recommendations for establishing a National Osteoporosis Risk and Identification Program targeting Australians over 70 years old and an Osteoporosis Information Technology Strategy.

The plan, developed on behalf of the Federal Government, highlights on three priority areas of early prevention through improved awareness of osteoporosis, better diagnosis, management and care, and using data to drive decision support systems and research in osteoporosis.

“This Plan provides an evidence-based road map to guide national efforts for implementation across the next 2–3 years  … it aligns closely with and supports the goals, principles and strategic priority areas of the National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions through a shared emphasis on prevention and efficient, effective and appropriate person-centred care to optimise quality of life for people with chronic conditions,” say the authors in their introduction.

The National Osteoporosis Action Plan Working Committee included endocrinologists Professor Peter Ebeling, Head, Department of Medicine, Monash University and Dr Weiwen Chen from Sydney St Vincent’s Hospital.

The stakeholder group included endocrinologists Professor Mark Kotowicz, Deakin University; Professor John Eisman and Professor Jacqueline Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital and Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney; Professor Markus Seibel, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney; Professor Richard Prince, University of Western Australia; Professor Ego Seeman, Austin Repatriation Hospital, Victoria; Associate Professor Chris White, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW; Associate Professor Rory Clifton-Bligh, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney and Dr Sonia Stanton, ACT Canberra Hospital and Health Service.

 

Priority 1: Increase awareness and education with a focus on early prevention 

  • Increase community awareness and understanding of the importance of bone health and osteoporosis including its risk factors and prevention
  • Establish systems to deliver national school online education programs on the importance of bone health and early prevention of osteoporosis
  • Improve health professional access to osteoporosis education and resources

Priority 2: Improve diagnosis, management and care

  • Enhance and expand secondary fracture prevention by integrating a best practice Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) model of care across the majority of public hospitals in Australia
  • Establish and pilot an integrated national approach to secondary fracture prevention with primary care
  • Establish and pilot the National Osteoporosis Risk and Identification Program targeting Australians over 70 years old

Priority 3: Establish an Osteoporosis Information Technology Strategy to improve patient outcomes through data collection and monitoring and strategic research

  • Develop or enhance an integrated decision support and management platform (clinical platform) to enable better GP and other health professional patient interactions in both hospital and primary care settings
  • Develop data collection processes and technical capabilities to integrate a clinical platform with existing EMR systems in hospitals and primary care
  • Drive strategic priority research supporting translation and implementation research to improve patient care and outcomes

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