Compliance with osteoporosis treatment guidelines in postmenopausal women

Osteoporosis continues to be poorly managed despite compelling statistics indicating increased morbidity and mortality associated with fractures. Guideline compliance in individual practices must be evaluated to implement improvements in the care of patients with this disease state.

To evaluate compliance with osteoporosis treatment guidelines by physicians and patients at 2 family medicine clinics affiliated with a large university teaching hospital.

Postmenopausal women 65 years of age or older with the ICD-9 diagnosis code 733.0 for osteoporosis during the study period between July 2006 and July 2007 were identified through the family medicine electronic medical record (EMR). Of 133 patients, 113 were eligible for inclusion. A retrospective chart review was conducted and prospective voluntary telephone surveys were administered. The EMR of each eligible patient was examined for presence of a baseline dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan as well as appropriate follow-up DXA monitoring, appropriateness of osteoporosis pharmacotherapy, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and fracture history. The telephone survey was used to assess the patients' calcium use, nonpharmacologic recommendations received, and fracture incidence after diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Of 113 patients diagnosed with osteoporosis, 68 of 82 (82.9%) had appropriate baseline DXA scans; however, only 9 (13.2%) of these 68 patients had appropriate follow-up scans every 2 years thereafter. Sixty-five (57.5%) patients were on Food and Drug Administration-approved, guideline-endorsed pharmacotherapy for osteoporosis. Thirty-five (70%) of the 50 participants in the telephone survey reported taking calcium regularly, and 41 (82%) patients recalled receiving some nonpharmacologic advice. Thirteen (26%) patients reported a fracture after diagnosis.

Osteoporosis care can be measurably improved at these clinics with use of baseline and appropriate follow-up DXA scans, increasing the number of patients who receive pharmacotherapy, and providing ongoing reinforcement of nonpharmacologic measures whereby bone health may be maintained.