Improving Osteoporosis Screening in Parkinson's Disease and Related Conditions-Think FRAGILE.

OBJECTIVES

Patients living with Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders are at increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures. However, bone health remains under-assessed in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the FRAGILE tool that we previously developed improved osteoporosis screening and referral practices in a PD and related diseases clinic.

METHODS

We performed an audit of 283 outpatient consultation letters evaluating the use of the FRAGILE tool for screening osteoporosis risk.

RESULTS

Following implementation of the FRAGILE tool our referral rate for osteoporosis screening improved from 23% to 48% of at-risk patients. Specifically, marked improvements were seen in referrals for patients with osteopenia, falls and fractures, but factors such as osteoporosis-associated medications and medical comorbidities were still often overlooked.

CONCLUSIONS

Osteoporosis screening referrals improved after introduction of the FRAGILE tool in clinical practice. Further efforts are required to address less overt risk factors.