title: Improving quality of care in osteoporosis: opportunities and challenges.
abstract: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease with a projected escalation in fracture prevalence and costs as the population ages. Osteoporosis care aims to prevent fractures and ultimately improve health-related quality of life. Despite significant evidence-based advances in testing and treatment, a large proportion of patients with fragility fracture or other osteoporosis risk factors are never evaluated with bone mineral density measurement testing and never receive therapy. This suboptimal quality of care can be attributed to barriers at the patient, provider, and health system levels. In addition, significant disparities in care exist across age, ethnicity, and gender. Recent studies have indicated that restructuring care at the system level is more likely to be successful, dependable, and durable than traditional quality improvement interventions focusing predominantly on physicians.
authors.affiliation: Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 820 Faculty Office Tower, 510 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294-3708, USA.
authors.forename: Gim Gee
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warriner
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: Kenneth G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Saag
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive; D014481:United States