The project Osteoporoskollen (meaning: Keeping track of Osteoporosis) addresses challenges in the osteoporosis care chain, both locally and regionally. At the same time, we are building a process and context in which solutions for the identification and treatment of osteoporosis can be implemented and disseminated.
There are already several building blocks in Region Skåne’s digital portfolio but these need to be adapted and implemented. There are a number of additional tools on the market, some of which need to be developed in collaboration with other actors.
When all tools are gathered in the same platform – what we have chosen to call Osteoporoskollen – we can better optimize the benefit and create the conditions for a good care process and follow-up. The platform can be compared with a digital fracture/osteoporosis coordinator that assists in the identification of individuals at risk of osteoporosis, and provides support for treatment planning by offering a patient and process overview, clinical decision support and data collection.
The project identified those groups living with the silent disease of osteoporosis but not yet identified, diagnosed and treated as ‘Patient Unknown’. These may be people who have not yet noticed symptoms or who have suffered minor fractures that have not been captured by the fracture chain despite contact with the health care system. It can also be people with problems due to osteoporosis-related vertebral compression that have not been detected by the health care system and thus have not activated the fracture chain.
If Osteoporoskollen can find new and effective ways to promote early detection of the “Patient unknown” and initiate investigation with DXA (Dual energy X-ray Absorptiometry) and preventive treatment (drugs and support for lifestyle habits), we can work more proactively and much suffering can be avoided – at the same time as it leads to major savings in terms of both healthcare costs and the number of hospital beds.
PROJECT IN BRIEF
Name: Osteoporoskollen (Keeping track of Osteoporosis)
Time period: From 2021-01-30 until 2023-10-31
Overall project goal: The overall goal of the project: Through new technology and new working methods, achieve a system change for early detection and treatment of osteoporosis.
Funder: Region Skåne
Project partners: Ängelholm Hospital, VO Rehabilitation, Region Skåne and Innovation Skåne.
