title: Gynaecologists' awareness of bone healthcare in Switzerland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess gynaecologists' awareness of bone healthcare in women and the prevalence of application of national recommendations on bone healthcare in Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the annual meeting of the Swiss Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2012, the Swiss Association against Osteoporosis (SVGO) performed standardised interviews with conference participants (n = 210). Questions addressed responsibility for bone healthcare, and whether diagnostic procedures, initiation of bone-specific treatment and follow-up were performed in accordance with SVGO recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of respondents were aged 30-50 years (60%), female (70%) and working as board-certified gynaecologists (69%). Ninety-three percent of respondents considered care for bone health as part of the gynaecologist's expertise. As diagnostic procedures, 44% recommended performing bone densitometry (DXA) only, 34% ordered additional laboratory testing. Seventy-two percent of respondents initiated a bone-specific treatment. Predictors for not performing diagnostic procedures and not initiating a bone-specific treatment were physician's age below 30, being a trainee gynaecologist, and working at a university clinic. Particularly, young trainee gynaecologists working at a university clinic were especially unlikely to initiate a bone-specific treatment (regression coefficient = -2.68; odds ratio [OR] 0.069, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.61; p = 0.16). Follow-ups were performed by 77% of respondents, but were less likely to be by female physicians (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09-0.84; p = 0.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the majority of board-certified gynaecologists follow national recommendations on bone healthcare, current medical training in obstetrics and gynaecology does not sufficiently cover the subject of women's health. However, since this is a small study our findings may not reflect the findings in the total population.
authors.affiliation: Inselspital Bern, Effingerstrasse 102, 3010, Bern, SWITZERLAND; stutepe@web.de.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stute
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birkhäuser
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Wolff
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meier
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006176:Gynecology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010819:Physician's Role; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland