An insight for Fracture Liaison Service implementation: a qualitative study from a developing country

Area of Science:

• Osteoporosis management and secondary fracture prevention.
• Healthcare service delivery models.
• Qualitative health research methodologies.

Background:

• Osteoporosis often leads to fractures before diagnosis, increasing subsequent fracture risk.
• Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are crucial for secondary fracture prevention and osteoporosis management.
• Limited research exists on FLS implementation within the Iranian healthcare context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess the current status of Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) implementation in Iran.
• To evaluate FLS implementation against established framework elements.
• To identify areas for improvement in FLS operations in Iran.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing framework analysis.
• Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 13 Iranian experts.
• Collaborative scenario synthesis for operational complexity analysis.

Main Results:

• The FLS framework effectively describes implemented FLS in Iran.
• Key areas for enhancement include FLS coordinator training and role clarity.
• Challenges identified in data management, including information coding accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Iran needs specialized FLS coordinator training, especially for non-nursing professionals.
• A context-specific timeline for FLS processes is essential for optimization.
• Improving data accuracy is critical for effective FLS and reliable statistics.