The Osteoporosis Risk and Management (ORMA) Project aims to improve the detection and management of osteoporosis and associated risk factors in people attending General Practices in Victoria
Osteoporosis tends to be under-diagnosed and under-treated worldwide. A challenge in detection is that people with Osteoporosis are asymptomatic until a fracture occurs. There are no overt symptoms associated with the condition and it is often diagnosed when a fracture occurs. The early identification and management of osteoporosis improves quality of life, independence and longevity. 23% of women and 6% of men over the age of 60 have osteoporosis in Australia.1 By 2022, it is estimated that 6.2 million Australians aged 60 and over will have osteoporosis or osteopenia. This is an increase of 31% from 2012.1
Recent data on the prevalence, health and economic impacts of osteoporosis have highlighted that alarming detection and treatment gaps exist in the identification and management of osteoporosis in Australia.1 Less than 20% of people presenting to healthcare services with minimal trauma fractures are investigated or treated for osteoporosis.1 These findings highlight the need to re-enforce clinical guidelines for health professionals involved in osteoporosis management.1 Hence, the ORMA Project is an initiative from the Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS) in partnership with the Melbourne Academic Centre for Health (MACH) and PHNs that aims to use a new module in the Clinical Audit Tool (CAT4) allowing the easy integration of osteoporosis in the primary care setting.
We hypothesise that the current gaps in practice can be addressed simply, pragmatically and effectively by using innovative technology that integrates osteoporosis in clinical practice. This approach will be examined in the ORMA study.
References
- Osteoporosis National Action Plan Working Group, Osteoporosis National Action Plan 2016, Sydney, 2016.
