Audit of a dedicated osteoporosis clinic

Abstract

In this article an audit of the service provided by our osteoporosis clinic at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, is described. The aim was to assess the quality of the service and to identify deficiencies that could be improved upon. It extended into primary care, and included an enquiry into patient satisfaction. From April to October 1995 154 patients (of whom 150 were female) were referred to the clinic. Of these 118 required a bone density measurement and 34% of patients had osteoporosis. The general practitioners (GPs) were satisfied with the waiting time for appointments and the standard of advice and treatment (>90%) but the standard set for communication was not achieved. The inadequate premises for the clinic did not deter the patients from documenting their satisfaction with the service provided. Subsequently, improvements have been made. We conclude that an osteoporosis clinic is an important part of the shared care approach to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Citation

Hall, J.M. and Fairney, A. (1998), "Audit of a dedicated osteoporosis clinic", Journal of Clinical Effectiveness, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 128-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb020887