Implementation of fracture liaison service in a New Zealand public hospital: Waitemata district health board experience.

AIM: To analyse the performance of a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) at Waitemata District Health Board (WDHB), and to detail how systematic secondary fracture prevention can be delivered in a secondary healthcare setting in New Zealand.

METHOD: Clinical details of patients supervised by the WDHB FLS during the calendar year 2014 were reviewed and analysed. Additional information including treatment compliance and re-fracture rates were sought a year after initial intervention.

RESULTS: During the 12-month period, 301 patients with fragility fracture were seen by the WDHB FLS. All patients had clinical and laboratory assessment, one-to-one education by the FLS co-ordinator. One hundred and twenty-one patients had dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) performed. One hundred and thirty-four of 226 treatment naive patients were started or recommended to be started on a bone protection therapy, bisphosphonate in almost all cases, and another 25 of 75 patients had adjustment made to their current therapy. Of those who were started or continued on treatment, adherence rate was 70% at a mean follow-up of 12 months.

CONCLUSION: An effective secondary fracture prevention programme, such as a FLS, can be successfully implemented in a New Zealand district hospital setting.