How we know if we're succeeding

Measuring ourselves: Osteoporosis

The basic facts

• Osteoporosis is a silent disease that causes bones to become fragile and prone to breaks
• It leads to 1.5 million fractures of the hip, spine or wrist each year
• In the U.S., about 20% of non-Hispanic white and Asian women age 50 and older have osteoporosis
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends bone mineral density testing for all women age 65 and older; this test is a fast, safe and painless way to find out the status of a person's bone structure
• Osteoporosis can be prevented!

Our mission is to increase awareness and knowledge about how to prevent osteoporosis, as well as how it is best detected and treated.

We measure the percent of our 65 year-old female patients who have undergone bone mineral density testing.

In 2006, 48% of our 65 year-old female patients had bone mineral density testing, surpassing our goal of 40%. This is a significant increase from just 3 years previous, when only 18% of patients had been tested.

N = number of patients in measurement

For more information about osteoporosis and what you can do to reduce your risk, click here.