Project Lead

Professor Gustavo Duque

Lead partner

The University of Melbourne

MACH PARTNERS

Austin Health; Western Health

The ORMA Project will simplify the process for General Practitioners (GPs) to efficiently and earlier identify patients who may be at risk of osteoporotic fractures. In addition, the program will facilitate efficient management of individuals already diagnosed with the disease.

The program will implement and evaluate provision of a newly designed, tested and implemented osteoporosis e-technology which supports:

  1. detection and management of osteoporosis and associated risk factors;
  2. education for GPs on osteoporosis; and
  3. assistance for GPs in the development of plans to guide how they will improve risk factor detection and disease management.

The program will be implemented into a total of 16 Victorian General Practices located across metropolitan, regional and inner rural Victoria with an estimated total patient population of 120,000 (12% older than 60). The e-technology and program design are based on previous experience of the CIs developing successful similar e-technology for the identification and treatment of chronic diseases, and is informed by the Osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis and management in postmenopausal women and men over 50 years of age guidelines from the Royal Australasian College of GPs.

Expansion activities funded through the MRFF RART 2.2 Scheme include Professional Development workshops for GPs enhancing translation and implementation of the Osteoporosis Risk and Management Project (RART 2.1) findings.

The Osteosarcopenia Scholars program identified not only the need for appropriate training to general practitioners in Osteosarcopenia but also the benefit for the general community, specially those with increased risk factors.

This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) as part of the Rapid Applied Research Translation program.

This program will assure that patients with existing fragility fractures that are not adequately treated (secondary fracture prevention) receive appropriate treatment. In addition, we will identify those patients with osteoporosis risk factors (including low BMD) who would benefit from treatment but would have never been identified in regular clinical practice.

Through this project, there is an increased awareness amongst participating general practitioners about Osteosarcopenia. Registered general practitioners have lifetime access to the training materials provided which will facilitate the ongoing education and identification of patients. Furthermore, general practitioners who completed the training received a free hand dynameter which can be used in further patient consultation in order to identify potential risk factors.