title: Implementation of a mandatory rheumatology osteoporosis consultation in patients with low-impact hip fracture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporosis remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated major health problem. The current treatment rate for patients who have experienced at least 1 osteoporotic fracture is 20%-25%. Therefore, the Rheumatology and Internal Medicine Departments of Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans implemented a mandatory rheumatology osteoporosis consult as part of preprinted admission orders for all patients after hip fracture surgery on the Internal Medicine service.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study of 78 patients admitted with a low-impact hip fracture between June 2004 and July 2005. These patients were seen by the rheumatology service in the hospital after hip fracture repair (exposed group). Osteoporosis evaluation was performed based on an interview questionnaire. Seventy-eight age-matched patients previously admitted for low-intensity or low-impact hip fracture in 2002-2003 but not exposed to the mandatory rheumatology consult served as our comparison group. Pearson chi2 test was used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean patient age was 80 years. Of the 78 unexposed patients, 17 (22%) were on treatment (calcium, vitamin D, hormones or antiresorptive agents) before the hip fracture, and 18 (23%) were on treatment after fracture repair. Of the 78 patients exposed to the compulsory rheumatology consultation, 34 (44%) patients were receiving osteoporosis treatment before hip fracture and 75 (96%) patients were receiving treatment after fracture repair. Of the patients not treated before hip fracture repair, there was a significant increase in the percent treated for those patients exposed to the rheumatology consult versus those not exposed (97.6% vs. 2.4%, respectively, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our institution, we were successful in identifying and initiating appropriate therapy for osteoporosis patients through an automatic rheumatology osteoporosis consultation after hip fracture. The implementation of a mandatory osteoporosis consult resulted in a statistically significant increase in treatment of the exposed group compared with the unexposed group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121, USA.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Quintos-Macasa
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quinet
authors.forename: Malik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spady
authors.forename: Jerald
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zakem
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Yamini
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serebro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Krousel-Wood
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012219:Rheumatology