GRASP-Osteoporosis

The effects of osteoporosis and resulting fragility fractures can have a profound impact on patients and their quality of life. Fragility fractures can cause substantial pain and severe disability.

Optimising medication is critical to preventing fragility fractures. Treatment is exceptionally effective at improving bone density – when taken correctly it can reduce the risk of fracture by more than 50%. However, evidence shows that medication adherence can be poor with around half of all patients discontinuing their medication within the first year.

Patients with osteoporosis are usually monitored by their GP within primary care, and as such providing an easy and effective way to regularly monitor the adherence to treatment is crucial to improving patient outcomes and preventing fragility fractures.

Working collaboratively with the University of Oxford and Oxford AHSN on their Bone Health programme of work, PRIMIS has developed GRASP-Osteoporosis, a reporting tool for GP practices that identifies patients who might benefit from a medication review of their anti-osteoporosis medication. Clinical expertise in osteoporosis and anti-osteoporosis medication provided by Professor Kassim Javaid (University of Oxford) combined with the health informatics expertise of PRIMIS has enabled GP practices in the Oxford area to detect patients that are not currently adherent to their anti-osteoporosis medication. PRIMIS training in quality improvement techniques, similar to those used for the PINCER prescribing safety intervention, supported a proactive approach to change management for the treatment of patients with osteoporosis.

The Bone Health programme of work has resulted in:

• increases in anti-osteoporosis medication prescribing and adherence, which has the potential to reduce the number of fractures.
• reduced variability of anti-osteoporosis medication prescribing between GP practices.
• better coding of fractures (QOF fracture coding increased by 20.8%).

If you are based in the Oxford AHSN area and would like to access GRASP-Osteoporosis, please register here: 

Oxford AHSN locality only access request

If you are outside of the Oxford AHSN area and would like to express an interest in accessing GRASP-Osteoporosis, please email PRIMIS:

Email PRIMIS (all other localities)