Strategies used by an osteoporosis patient group to navigate for bone health care after a fracture.

OBJECTIVE

To examine experiences and behaviours with bone health management post-fracture among members of a national osteoporosis (OP) patient group.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted in English-speaking members of the group who had sustained a fragility fracture at 50+ years old and were not taking OP pharmacotherapy at the time of that fracture. Participants were recruited through an advertisement in the patient group newsletter and interviewed for ~1 h by telephone, responding to questions regarding visits to health care providers and their behaviours regarding bone health. We analysed the data following Giorgi's methodology.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight eligible participants (26 females, two males; 78% response rate) aged 51-89 years old completed an interview. More than half of our participants described effective consumer behaviours, including making requests of health care providers for referrals to bone specialists, bone mineral density tests, and prescription medication.

CONCLUSION

Members of an OP patient group described effective consumer behaviours that could be incorporated as skill sets in post-fracture interventions to improve bone health.