Electronic health records could help reduce the rate of hip fracture in the U.S. by 25%, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the November issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, Healthcare IT News reports.
Kaiser's Healthy Bones Program uses its HealthConnect EHR system to collect patient data, including anti-osteoporosis medication, bone density scans and fragility fractures. The initiative then aggressively targets patients at risk for hip fractures through the EHR system to ensure they receive the necessary bone density screenings and medications.
Study Details, Results
To examine the effectiveness of Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Healthy Bones Program from 2002 to 2007, researchers followed 650,000 patients enrolled in the osteoporosis management program.
Researchers found that hip fractures were reduced by 38%, preventing 970 hip fractures in 2007. In addition, the study found that annual bone density screenings increased by 263% from 2002 to 2007 and that the number of people on anti-osteoporosis medications increased by 153% from 2002 to 2007.
Richard Dell, an orthopedic surgeon at Kaiser and the study's lead author, said, "Health care would be drastically improved if this model of osteoporosis care [was] adapted for the rest of America" (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 11/9).