SELF-FRAX study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Implementing improved fracture risk assessment in primary care: Enhancing capture and quality of self-reported risk factors in electronic health records in primary care: The SELF-FRAX study
IRAS ID
334004
Contact name
Eugene McCloskey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Good news – we can identify patients at increased risk of broken bones (fractures) using simple questionnaire-based tools, and have safe treatments that work well. Bad news - 3 out of 4 people at increased risk of fracture don't receive treatment, largely because this risk goes unidentified. This reflects workload and awareness in GP practices, plus a lack of information on some risk factors within individual’s health records. We believe that patient-centred, interactive approaches, devised with involvement from patients and public, can improve the quality of fracture risk information in GP care records leading to increased treatment exposure in those at most need. In this era of increasing digital communications (e.g emails, texting) and interaction with our own health records (e.g. mobile health apps), we will explore opportunities provided by technology to enable patients to voluntarily complete a risk assessment questionnaire. We will determine the most effective mechanism(s) for doing this so that, in the future, patients could update their records directly. The study will enable engagement with patients, GPs, nurses, pharmacists and other community-based health professionals, to address opportunities and barriers to delivering a step change in osteoporosis management that will significantly reduce the number of patients suffering fractures.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0383
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion