Leveraging Hospital Settings to Address the Osteoporosis Treatment Deficiency
By
Annie W. Yang
William W. Hung
Katherine Ritchey
October 5, 2026
Clinical Scorecard: Leveraging Hospital Settings to Address the Osteoporosis Treatment Deficiency
At a Glance
Category Detail
Condition Osteoporosis Key Mechanisms Antifracture medication therapy including bisphosphonates, anabolic therapies, RANK ligand inhibitors, or selective estrogen receptor modulators. Target Population Individuals older than 50 years hospitalized for non-traumatic fractures. Care Setting Hospital and outpatient settings
Key Highlights
91% of patients had not previously received osteoporosis treatment. Only 6% of treatment-naïve patients received antifracture medication post-fracture. 77% of treated patients received therapy during hospitalization. 71% of patients who initiated medication during hospitalization continued it as outpatients. System-level policy modifications are necessary to improve secondary fracture prevention. Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
List 'osteoporosis' as a diagnosis in discharge summaries. Management
Initiate antifracture therapy during hospitalization. Monitoring & Follow-up
Follow-up on antifracture medication initiation within 180 days post-discharge. Risks
Reduced likelihood of treatment associated with male sex, Black race, longer hospital stay, and femur fracture. Patient & Prescribing Data
Patients aged over 50 with non-traumatic fractures.
Bisphosphonates were the predominant antifracture medication prescribed.
Clinical Best Practices
Implement clinical decision support tools in electronic health records. Utilize Fracture Liaison Services and 'Own the Bone' programs to increase prescribing. Incorporate post-fracture care into Age-Friendly Hospital measures. Related Resources & Content
