Osteoporosis Refracture Prevention

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Following this, future plans are being made for integration into the desktop clinical software – Best Practice and Medical Director. GP’s will have the opportunity to add their patients from their practice and can view completed surveys that may have been completed in other health settings, i.e. LHD.

PRMs follow the patient and General Practice is a key partner in the patient’s health.

Craig Knox - Fracture Liaison Coordinator

Ph.0266 240378 Email: Craig.Knox@health.nsw.gov.au In 2018, the then PHN (now Healthy North Coast) and Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) formed an interdisciplinary synergy to trial a novel GP-led model of care for Osteoporosis Refracture Prevention (ORP) for bone health management after Minimal Trauma Fracture (MTF).

People over the age of 50 presenting to Emergency Departments with a MTF in the Richmond Network were referred by a Fracture Liaison Coordinator to their GP for bone health investigations and ongoing management.

From December 2018 to 2020, 665 patients with MTF were referred to their GP, 645 (97%) were reviewed, and 389 (60%) initiated Bone Protective Therapy (BPT). At 12 months, 351 people (90%) remained adherent to BPT, and 6% had endured re-fracture. 189 GPs were engaged in ORP assessments with wide geographical coverage.

So far, the trial has shown that this novel collaborative model between general practice and a hospital-based Fracture Liaison Coordinator provides an alternative to tertiary specialist-led clinics, showing a high level of acceptance and BPT adherence by patients. Longer-term outcomes and comparison to specialist services should be explored.

Health care stakeholders and service providers are currently being interviewed to examine how and why this model of care has been so successful in this regional area. There will be a follow-up article revealing the results of these interviews.

A big thanks goes to all GPs who ably responded to the communications from the Fracture Liaison Coordinators. Patient care appears timely and effective for this cohort during this proof of concept phase.

Modern radiation therapy at John Flynn Private Hospital

Highly precise conformal stereotactic radiation therapy closer to home for Northern New South Wales patients.

GenesisCare has expanded our stereotactic radiation therapy capability at John Flynn Private Hospital. The stereotactic program now includes non-invasive intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT or SABR). This is for treatment of primary tumours in the lung, prostate, liver, kidney and metastasis to the brain, lung, spine, bone, liver and soft tissue.

Highly precise conformal stereotactic treatments deliver higher doses to targeted tumours while the surrounding healthy tissue receives a lower dose, minimising the risk of side-effects.

For more information or to refer a patient contact GenesisCare:

John Flynn Private Hospital Cancer Centre

42 Inland Dr, Tugun QLD 4224 Tel: (07) 5507 3600 | Fax: (07) 5507 3610 oncologyQLD@genesiscare.com

Initial consultation bulk billed – Private health insurance not required.

COVID-19 Our team has implemented various strategies to keep our patients COVID safe.

GenesisCare radiation oncologists:

A/Prof. Sidhartha Baxi

MBBS, GAICD, FRANZCR, Regional Medical Director Gold Coast

Prof. David Christie

MD (Hons), FRANZCR

Dr Tulasi Ramanarasiah

MBBS, MD, FRANZCR

Dr Sagar Ramani

MBBS, MRCP (UK), FRCR (UK) FRANZCR

Dr Selena Young

MBBS, MPallC, FRANZCR