An outreach intervention increases bone densitometry testing in older women.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of a patient recall intervention that relies on an outreach coordinator with a bachelor's degree to prompt women by mail and telephone about their eligibility for bone densitometry (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)) screening and allow them to schedule an examination without a medical provider visit ahead of time.


METHODS
Observational.


METHODS
Academic general internal medicine practice.


METHODS
Mail- and telephone-based patient recall for DXA.


METHODS
Five hundred sixty-four women aged 65 to 79 at average risk for osteoporosis without a history of DXA.


METHODS
Rates of DXA completion and the change in proportion of screened women during a 7-month intervention period, case finding for clinically significant bone loss, frequency of appropriate clinical follow-up, DXA no-show rates compared with usual care, and clinician satisfaction.


RESULTS
Through patient recall, rates of DXA screening rose significantly (P<.001), and the proportion of the eligible clinic population screened increased 13%. Thirty percent of patients had clinically significant bone loss, with almost all of these receiving follow-up. DXA no-show rates were comparable with usual care, and provider acceptance was high.


CONCLUSIONS
A patient recall intervention substantially increased DXA screening, allowing pharmacological therapy to be started much earlier in some women with significant bone loss. It imposed minimal burden on providers and enhanced patient convenience. This type of program may have utility for additional preventive services.
Denberg
Thomas D
TD
Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Auora, USA. Tom.Denberg@ucdenver.edu
Myers
Beth A
BA
Lin
Chen-Tan
CT
Libby
Anne M
AM
Min
Sung-Joon
SJ
McDermott
Michael T
MT
Steiner
John F
JF
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D003120:Colorado; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis