Study finds low rates of osteoporosis screening, treatment for older women with hip fractures

Feb 23 2017

It's important to identify and treat osteoporosis following hip fracture, but a large study found low rates of assessment and treatment in postmenopausal women who had suffered a hip fracture.

Among 8,349 women age 50 years and older who experienced a hip fracture between 2008 and 2013, just 17% had evidence of osteoporosis assessment and/or treatment within 6 months and 23% had evidence of assessment and/or treatment within 12 months of their fractures. Seeing a primary care doctor after fracture was the strongest and most consistent predictor of osteoporosis assessment or treatment.

"Even though osteoporosis is a condition commonly known to impact so many older adults, patients and healthcare providers are not taking the steps necessary to diagnose and treat the condition in one of the highest-risk groups-women who have already experienced hip fractures," said Dr. Catherine Gillespie, lead author of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study. "This work shows that we can do more to minimize the burden of osteoporosis, thereby improving quality of life, among older adults who have experienced a hip fracture."