Adoption of innovation is essential to the future of osteoporosis care

 
This year’s American Society of Bone Mineral Research (ASBMR) annual congress takes place on 11-15 September. Despite taking the virtual stage, ASBMR remains to be a prominent centre point for the latest clinical and scientific developments in bone health. That is why we are excited to be taking part in this year’s congress, connecting with the osteoporosis community and hearing about the latest advances in bone health from around the world.

We believe that ongoing research is essential to keep the field moving toward optimal osteoporosis management and fracture prevention, but how much progress has been made with recent innovation in osteoporosis? A few years ago, we saw a welcome shift in the way osteoporosis is managed with the implementation of the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS). Best practices like the FLS have already undergone rigorous improvement over time, and their benefit is already widely acknowledged. More uptake of these services will provide solutions to the disconnect between patient and healthcare professional.

In addition to best practice processes like an FLS program, patients and physicians alike could benefit from a more individualized approach to treating and monitoring osteoporosis and fracture risk. In recent years, working groups and expert consensuses have expressed the potential benefit of a treat-to-target strategy to reduce the risk of fragility fractures. We can learn from other therapeutic areas which have benefited from a disease-specific treat-to-target approach to individualise the treatment of each patient based on their probability of reaching a treatment goal. These groups have commented that progress toward reaching the patient’s goal would include periodic and systematic assessment.

For physicians and their patients with osteoporosis, this could open up a new and refined approach to use existing therapies. Ideally, using biomarkers that are reliable, easily measured and cost effective and setting targets that are realistic, adaptable and have evidence of the benefits, could result in a strategy to help reduce fragility fracture risk while providing important near-term feedback to patients that their treatment is making a difference.

ASBMR will see the sharing of the latest clinical and scientific developments in bone health but we need health systems and policy makers involved in bringing these innovations to life, ensuring osteoporosis is no longer overlooked and under prioritised. Tried and tested services such as the FLS should be implemented as widely as possible, new treatment approaches should be considered and corporations and healthcare systems should invest in treatments, processes and devices, all with patients’ needs at the forefront to make innovation happen within osteoporosis.