Pop-up messages up physician awareness of osteoporosis

(HealthDay)—The introduction of pop-up messages relating to a history of dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA) in an order communication system can increase the rates of DXA prescription, as well as the rates of osteoporosis medication and exercise, according to a study published online May 6 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

Joon Yub Kim, M.D., Ph.D., from Myongji Hospital in Goyang-si, South Korea, and colleagues compared the rate of DXA prescription, osteoporosis medication, exercise, mortality, and subsequent refractures for 404 patients treated without and with pop-up messages, implemented in March 2012. Patients were followed for a two-year period.

The researchers found that the DXA prescription rate increased from 35.1 to 57.1 percent after introducing the pop-up messages (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was an increase in the osteoporosis medication rate from 21.1 to 25.2 percent, and in the exercise rate from 35.6 to 40.5 percent (P = 0.05 and 0.018, respectively). The mortality rates were 4.64 in the group treated before implementation of pop-up messages and 6.67 percent for those treated after implementation (P = 0.4). Subsequent refractures occurred in 12.9 and 9.52 percent of those treated before and after implementation of pop-up messages, respectively (P = 0.87).

"We recommend using this simple and effective method to improve physicians' awareness of osteoporosis," the authors write.

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