Page 38 - MRS Abstracts March 2023

Service Evaluation Project Investigating Imaging Recommendations on DXA reports and compliance from GPs and others
Dr Jennifer Marwick, Specialist Doctor in Osteoporosis
Dr Feryal Malik, Consultant Rheumatologist and Osteoporosis Lead Prof Andy Whallett, Consultant Rheumatologist
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Introduction:
The Dudley Group NHSFT scans over 2000 DXA patients per year. These are reported by clinicians and occasionally further imaging is recommended as part of the DXA report to exclude vertebral fractures or bone metastases for example. Prevalence studies suggest that 12% of women aged 50– 79 have vertebral fractures1, the majority of which will be osteoporotic in origin, however up to 70% of these fractures remain undiagnosed2.
Detecting fractures through recommended imaging can mean the difference between no treatment or high-cost drugs such as Romosozumab or Teriparatide, which can significantly reduce the risk of further fracture3,4 and the associated morbidity and mortality. Vertebral fractures are also a strong predictor of future hip fracture and are therefore vital to detect5.
The objective of this service evaluation project was to investigate whether imaging recommendations are being acted on by the requesting clinician after receiving the DXA report.
Methods:
All DXA reports between 1st April and 30th April 2022 were retrospectively identified. The reports where imaging was recommended were included. Patient records were reviewed to confirm if the recommended imaging had been performed in the 12 months following the DXA scan. Patients were excluded who had already had imaging in the previous 6 months.