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Using WHO-FRAX to describe fracture risk: experience in primary care
F R MacLean1, S A Thomson, S J Gallacher
1Levenside Medical Practice, Station Road, Dumbarton G82 1PW, Scotland, UK. fergus.maclean@nhs.net
Scottish Medical Journal
|December 20, 2011
Summary
Identifying high fracture risk is crucial. The WHO-FRAX tool, using general practice data, is feasible for pinpointing at-risk individuals for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Proactive identification of individuals at high risk of fracture is essential to mitigate mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs.
- Current UK guidelines recommend case-finding strategies rather than population-based screening for high fracture risk.
- General practices possess data beyond fracture history, enabling broader identification of at-risk patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of applying the World Health Organization Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (WHO-FRAX) to general practice populations.
- To determine if existing electronic health record data in UK general practices can be utilized for fracture risk assessment.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 2467 women aged 50+ from two Scottish general practices.
- Extraction of patient data from general practice databases for WHO-FRAX calculator application.
- Analysis of 1872 patients for whom WHO-FRAX calculation was possible.
Main Results:
- WHO-FRAX calculations were successfully completed for 1872 patients.
- A significant proportion (37%, n=687) of the assessed cohort exhibited high fracture risk (major fracture risk ≥15% or hip fracture risk ≥3%).
- This identifies a substantial group of patients suitable for further evaluation and intervention.
Conclusions:
- Utilizing the WHO-FRAX calculator with existing general practice data is a feasible approach.
- This method effectively identifies a patient cohort at elevated fracture risk.
- Targeted interventions and further evaluations can be efficiently directed towards this identified high-risk group.
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