A multi-modal intervention for Activating Patients at Risk for Osteoporosis (APROPOS): Rationale, design, and uptake...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Osteoporosis treatment initiation is suboptimal in postmenopausal women with prior fractures.
• Identifying and addressing patient-specific barriers is crucial for effective osteoporosis management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a tailored, multi-modal educational intervention for osteoporosis treatment.
• To identify factors associated with the online uptake of this patient-centered intervention.

Main Methods:

• The Activating Patients at Risk for OsteoPOroSis (APROPOS) intervention utilized the Information, Motivation, Behavior Skills model.
• A direct-to-patient educational tool featured race/ethnicity-tailored videos and personalized phone outreach.
• Nominal groups identified key barriers to osteoporosis treatment among diverse postmenopausal women.

Main Results:

• The intervention group (n=1342) comprised mostly Caucasian women (92.9%) with a mean age of 74.9 years.
• Preference for natural treatments and concern about osteonecrosis of the jaw were significant barriers.
• Online video access was achieved by 28.1% of participants; providing an email address increased access odds by over six-fold.

Conclusions:

• A novel, tailored intervention effectively addressed osteoporosis treatment initiation barriers.
• Online intervention accessibility was strongly linked to providing an email address.
• This approach offers a scalable model for improving chronic disease management and patient engagement.