Professor Johannes Pfeilschifter
Duration: 1 January 2004 to 30 April 2004*
Center: Klinik für Altersmedizin und Frührehabilitation Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Marienhospital Herne (Director: Professor Ludger Pientka)
* From 1 May 2004: Head of Medizinische Klinik I des Evangelischen Krankenhauses Lutherhaus, Essen
Research Area
The prevalence and care situation of men and women over 75 with a high risk of fracture and the effectiveness of autotherapy to reduce fractures.
Background:
Fractures associated with osteoporosis in elderly people are a growing social and economic health problem. In March 2003, the umbrella association of the German-speaking osteological societies adopted a set of S3 guidelines that make recommendations for primary and secondary prophylaxis for fractures in elderly people, and define people with an especially high fracture risk. There is currently insufficient knowledge about the prevalence and care situation of high-risk people and the effectiveness of the autotherapy measures recommended in the guidelines in reducing the number of fractures.
In a monocentric observational study, a random sample survey of 500 men and 500 women will be used to answer to the following questions:
- How high is the prevalence of people over 75 with a high risk of fracture based on the DVO Guideline risk evaluation?
- What is the actual status of the current care situation of these people?
- Which specific problems and barriers are to be expected on the patients’ side if the recommendations are implemented?
- How effective are autotherapy measures in preventing fractures in this age group?
Implementation:
A structured interview will be used to record guideline-supported indicators of the risks, care situation and state of knowledge. Following the interview, examination will take place of BMI, blood pressure, pulse, susceptibility to falls, bone density using DXA, and of laboratory parameters in relation to secondary causes of fracture hazard. After a randomized, structured, small-group training, the effectiveness of autotherapy measures in preventing fractures will be evaluated longitudinally.