After rigorous peer review, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) recently awarded the Fraser Health Authority team in British Columbia (BC), a three-year project team grant worth $500,000. The project, titled “Breaking the cycle of recurrent fracture: Scaling up a secondary fracture prevention program in Fraser Health to inform spread across British Columbia”, is co-led by Dr. Sonia Singh (Fraser Health clinician-researcher,) Larry Funnell (Patient partner researcher) and Dr. Tania Bubela (Simon Fraser University, Dean of Health Sciences). This project may well be the tipping point for Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) implementation in BC. This project will explore how the FLS model implemented at the Peace Arch Hospital (White Rock) in Fraser Health can be successfully adapted and scaled-up to other hospital sites within the health authority.

This leading-edge project aligns with the mandate of Osteoporosis Canada in supporting nation-wide implementation of effective secondary fracture prevention. One key expected outcome is to inform an FLS implementation strategy that can be used to spread the FLS model across BC, thereby improving patients’ quality of life after low-trauma fractures and decreasing health care costs related to recurrent fractures. The research findings from this project may result in dramatically improved access to appropriate osteoporosis care for fracture patients in BC and will impact future program planning of secondary fracture prevention across Canada.

https://www.msfhr.org/2019-IST-pjt-recipients

A development grant to improve osteoporosis care for fragility fracture patients has been awarded to British Columbia’s Fraser Health Authority. Funding for “Breaking The Cycle Of Recurrent Fracture: Scaling Up A Fracture Prevention Program In British Columbia” was awarded by the Michel Smith Foundation for Health Research.
Osteoporosis Canada congratulates the project co-leads, Dr. Sonia Singh (FLS Medical Lead, Peace Arch Hospital, Fraser Health), Larry Funnell (patient partner), Tania Bubela (Dean of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University), and Teresa O’Callaghan (executive sponsor, Executive Director Peace Arch Hospital, Fraser Health) and all their team members.
This project will explore how the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) model implemented at one hospital in BC (Peace Arch Hospital, White Rock) can be successfully adapted and scaled-up to other hospital sites to break the cycle of recurrent fractures.
The evidenced-based FLS model has been recognized and adopted worldwide as the most effective model for preventing recurrent osteoporosis-related fractures in a cost-effective manner. FLS involves a dedicated coordinator who “captures” the patient at the point of orthopedic care for low-trauma fracture and seamlessly integrates secondary fracture prevention into the overall fracture experience. FLS coordinators link up with community family physicians to ensure on-going care and follow-through of the initiated interventions to prevent further fractures.
The Michael Smith Foundation development grant was one of 10 projects chosen in a provincial competition for Implementation Science Research. The Fraser Health team now goes on to the next stage of the competition which is to develop a full grant proposal to roll out Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) at multiple sites in Fraser Health and evaluate implementation over three years. Five projects will be funded in June 2019.
Given the great need for more FLSs, Osteoporosis Canada wishes the team every success with the next round of the competition and increasing uptake of FLS in British Columbia.

The results from Osteoporosis Canada’s first national FLS audit demonstrate the positive impact of Canadian FLSs on the lives of fragility fracture patients. The promising results, released in September 2018, are included in the “Report from Canada’s first national FLS audit” which provides an overview of the audit for the cohort of patients enrolled in Canadian FLSs between April 1 and September 30, 2017.

The huge post-fracture care gap has been well documented in many Canadian jurisdictions.  Without FLS, less than 25% of fragility fracture patients will be diagnosed and/or treated for their underlying osteoporosis.

By significantly improving osteoporosis care, FLSs help prevent future fractures, reduce patient suffering and increase their independence. With less than 50 FLSs in Canada, many more FLSs are needed to provide appropriate care to fracture patients.

To read the full report, please click here.

Le Répertoire des FLS lance une carte en ligne

Un service de liaison pour fractures (FLS) est un modèle de soins précis dans le cadre duquel un coordonnateur identifie de manière proactive, à l’échelle du système, les patients ayant subi une fracture et détermine leur risque de fracture dans le but très précis de faciliter l’administration d’un traitement efficace contre l’ostéoporose aux patients à haut risque. Les FLS sont, de loin, la méthode la plus efficace de prévention des fractures secondaires permettant de garantir que les patients reçoivent les soins ostéoporotiques dont ils ont besoin pour éviter d’autres fractures.

La carte du répertoire de FLS a été lancée afin de faire le profil des hôpitaux qui ont mis en place des FLS qui répondent aux huit Éléments essentiels des services de liaison pour fractures.

Le Répertoire :

• reconnaît les hôpitaux canadiens qui ont mis en œuvre des modèles de soins FLS à 2i ou 3i efficaces;
• offre une vue d’ensemble de l’étendue et de l’emplacement des FLS situés partout au pays.

Êtes-vous un FLS n’ayant pas encore rempli une demande d’admission au comité du répertoire de FLS?

Nous vous invitons à ouvrir ce lien pour revoir les éléments essentiels requis ainsi que le processus de demande d’admission au Répertoire des FLS. Les demandes d’admission sont évaluées régulièrement par le comité du Répertoire de FLS.