Osteoporosis quality improvement tool launched

PRIMIS is delighted to release its newest, free quality improvement tool which focuses on the long term debilitating disease, osteoporosis.

It is estimated that osteoporosis affects over three million people in the UK and, according to research, by ‘identifying patients in a consistent, systematic way, it is estimated that up to 25% of hip fractures (about 20,000 a year) could be prevented. [See the facts and figures on the National Osteoporosis Society website for details on these statistics].

The Osteoporosis quality improvement tool has been designed to help practices report on the level of care being offered to patients with known osteoporosis. It also provides a casefinder element, identifying patients who may have the disease but have not previously been diagnosed. This aspect of the tool will enable practices to call identified patients in for review, to monitor their care management and can improve the accuracy and quality of their disease register.

The care management aspect of the Osteoporosis quality improvement tool will help practices identify where they can improve the quality of care that patients with known osteoporosis receive and therefore optimise their treatment.

The Osteoporosis quality improvement tool is now available for all practices to use that are registered as either a basic or full member with PRIMIS Hub. Its free use by practices is possible thanks to funding from Eli Lilly and Company*.

The Osteoporosis quality improvement tool can also help practices by:

• improving the recording of contra-indications and exceptions in this disease area
• contributing to the delivery of the Quality and Outcomes Framework, the NHS Outcomes Framework, the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set and the NHS Right Care opportunity indicators
• providing data in a format that can be used for appraisal and revalidation and providing a method for GPs to reflect on their own clinical practice

Obtaining the Osteoporosis quality improvement tool

All members of PRIMIS Hub (whether free members or full subscribers) are able to immediately download the tool. Please go to ‘Check for updates’ within CHART

Anyone who is not a Hub member can register online. This simple and quick process will provide you with access to our CHART software (needed to run the Osteoporosis quality improvement tool) and the quality improvement tool itself

Please refer to the CHART webpage to find out how to download and install CHART and to make the best use of any quality improvement tool via the CHART instruction booklet and online information.

Alternatively, there are a number of additional services run by PRIMIS that can help you with the use of our tools and to make best use of the data and results they produce.

More information on the Osteoporosis quality improvement tool

For more details and to access the newest edition of the instruction guide and quick guide, please visit the Osteoporosis webpage.*

The development of the Osteoporosis quality improvement tool has been funded by Eli Lilly and Company. Eli Lilly and Company has undertaken a medico legal review but PRIMIS has retained editorial control and intellectual proprty rights for this tool.