Members in action

ASBMR

Osteoporosis Canada will be releasing updated Osteoporosis Management Clinical Guidelines in the fall of 2019. Along with a steering committee, working groups have been established including: risk assessment, pharmacotherapy, exercise and nutrition. There is also a stakeholder committee and a Conflict of Interest monitoring committee. A primary care physician and a member of the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network (COPN) are integral members of each committee to ensure all voices are heard.

These working groups are tasked with identifying primary questions and outcomes relevant to the guidelines and their working committee. These questions will serve as the basis for searching specific databases in the collection of current and relevant data. The GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) is being used.

To inform the guidelines process, general practitioners and COPN members were asked to complete a survey to help the working groups identify priorities. On October 1, 2018 a poster of the patients’ survey results was presented at the American Society of Bone Mineral Research (ASBMR) by Larry Funnell (patient representative on the steering committee and IMHA Research Ambassador).

Some of the findings from the survey included:

• Preserving quality of life and well-being as the most important treatment outcome for patients.
• More than ⅓ want updated guidelines related to pharmacotherapy, such as benefits and potential side effect and drug holidays.
• Many stressed the importance of including recommendations on exercise and physical activities that are safe and effective for those with osteoporosis.

All of these, and many more survey responses on a full range of issues that also include risk assessment and nutrition will help the interdisciplinary working group of clinicians, researchers and patients