Own the Bone, a System-Based Intervention, Improves Osteoporosis Care After Fragility Fractures

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Geriatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Secondary fracture prevention is crucial for patients with fragility fractures.
• The American Orthopaedic Association developed the Own the Bone program to address this need.
• Evaluating the program's effectiveness is essential for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of the Own the Bone secondary fracture prevention program.
• To evaluate the implementation of osteoporosis pharmacologic and bone mineral density (BMD) test recommendations.
• To determine the impact of the program on medical professional behavior.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement cohort study involving 177 institutions.
• Data collected from 125 sites between 2010 and 2015, including 23,132 patients aged 50+ with fragility fractures.
• Interventions included education, program development, dissemination, and evaluation of the Own the Bone program.

Main Results:

• The number of participating institutions grew significantly, from 14 in 2005-2006 to 177 by 2015.
• Following program implementation, 53% of patients received orders for BMD testing and/or osteoporosis pharmacologic therapy.
• The program demonstrated successful dissemination and adoption across various healthcare settings.

Conclusions:

• The Own the Bone intervention effectively improved medical professional behavior regarding osteoporosis management.
• The program led to increased BMD testing and initiation of pharmacotherapy for fragility fracture patients.
• Enhanced coordination of care was observed for patients experiencing fragility fractures.