A Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) systematically identifies, treats, and refers patients over 50 who have suffered a fragility fracture to reduce their risk of subsequent fractures. An FLS follows a proven model where all fracture patients are assessed and 50% of future hip fractures could potentially be prevented with treatment. The document discusses the impact of fractures in the UK, how an FLS works according to a standard definition and clinical pathway, and how establishing an FLS requires engaging stakeholders, developing the patient care pathway, and ongoing data collection and evaluation to demonstrate the clinical and cost effectiveness of the program in preventing future fractures.
6. • 300,000 fragility
fractures
• 85,000 are hip fracture
• 1.8m hospital bed days
• 1 month post hip
fracture 1 in 13 patients
will have died and only
half will have gone
home
• £1.9bn hospital costs
Impact of Fractures in the UK
8. 8
FLS - to ensure the first fracture is the last!
X
9. Definition of an FLS
‘‘A Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) systematically
identifies, treats and refers to appropriate services
all eligible patients aged over 50 years within a
local population who have suffered a fragility
fracture, with the aim of reducing their risk of
subsequent fractures.’’
10. A Fracture Liaison Service (FLS)
• A proven model for fragility fracture prevention
• All patients > 50 years who fracture are targeted
• 50% of hip fracture patients have had a prior
fragility fracture
• Where treatment is initiated, up to 50% hip
fractures could be avoided in future
• Clinically and cost effective
Find
them
Assess
them
Treat where
appropriate
Follow-
up
11. Priorities and Plans for NOS in 2015
Aim 1:
Every person aged over 50 who breaks a bone
is assessed for osteoporosis and managed
appropriately.
Priority 1:
Extend coverage of Fracture Liaison
Services in the UK
Priority 2:
Improve quality of Fracture Liaison
Services and osteoporosis services
14. FLS Implementation
• Engage with sites wanting to set-up FLS
• Set up a stakeholder meeting
• Establish patient/care pathway
• Project manage/commissioning and funding
• Assist with economic and business case
• Service specification
• Resource and capacity planning including staffing
• Work with providers ensuring FLS is sustained
• Data collection, analysis, reporting and evaluation
• Ensure service meets FLS Clinical Standards
15. The impact of FLS is both clinically &
cost effective
17. UK FLS Clinical Standards
The 5IQ approach describes the key objectives of an FLS:
• Identification
• Investigation
• Information
• Intervention
• Integration
• Quality www.nos.org.uk/fls
18. 18
Gap Analysis
Gap Analysis establishes to what degree an
existing service is ‘performing’ against the
Standards
• Informative
• Detailed
• Specific
• Targeted
• Constructive
19. Generic FLS Pathway
FALLS RISK
ASSESSMENT
NEW
CLINICAL FRACTURE
NEW
VERTEBRAL
FRACTURE
(RADIOLOGY REPORT)
PREVIOUS FRACTURE OR
FRACTURE NOT PRESENTING
TO ACUTE CARE
ORTHO
IP
Virtual/
#
CLINIC
‘CASE-FINDING’ BY FLS‘CASE-FINDING’
BY COTE
‘CASE-FINDING’
BY GP/SEC CARE/CH
FLS
RISK ASSESSMENT
ONE-STOP CLINIC
WITH DXA
EXERCISE
CLASSES
Rx FOR FRACTURE
2Y PREVENTION
EDUCATION
PROGRAMME
CARE OF
THE
ELDERLY
4 & 12 MONTH
FOLLOW UP
CLINIC
COMPLEX
CLINIC
(IF REQUIRED)
20. 20
Most hospital with/without FLS
• Inpatient hips
• Fracture clinic
Challenges
• Other inpatients (k-wiring and plates)*
• Patients included who fall/fracture on other wards
• Spinal fractures
• Radiology – incidental spinal fractures*
Who may be missed?
• Patients attending ED no follow up i.e. clavicle, ribs
pubic rami.
• Patients admitted for other reason and fracture
identified on an X-ray …….
21. 21
What is the Impact of FLS
• Glasgow model
• Glasgow assessed more than 50,000
fractures between 2000-2010
• Hip fracture rates reduced by 7.3% vs 17%
increase in England
• For every 1,000 patients
• 18 fractures were prevented
• 11 hips fractures
22. 22
What are the economic benefits?
• Hip fractures alone have an estimated health
and social care cost of £2.3 billion/year
Benefits Calculator
(http://benefits.nos.org.uk)
25. What Investment is Required?
STAFF
• Consultant for complex
patients/mentor/supervise service
• Nurse specialist
• Clerical/admin
Set up costs – FLS accommodation, IT, DXA
scanner and other associated costs:
• DXA scans/reporting
• Other diagnostics – bloods urine
• Drug costs
26. 26
Use the FLS Implementation Toolkit
1. Promotes commissioning of effective high-quality
services that are integrated within a system-wide
approach
2. Ensures services are in accord with the evidence
base and able to demonstrate outcomes
3. Stimulates provision of services that are
sustainable
4. Make implementation easier, cheaper and more
effective for commissioners and providers.
This is more bed days than heart attack and stroke combined for men and breast cancer for women
Currently rising to £2.2 billion by 2025
Alistair McClellan initiated the first FLS and education group in the late 1999
To maintain the health and bone health of the population
Secondary prevention is the key – identifying patients who suffer a fracture so we can target therapy
However once case finding is systematic it can be extended to primary prevention
So the first fracture does not lead to a hip or vertebral fracture.
This was first task of FLSIG to define the definition of FLS
– so we are all working towards the same goal
– consistency of approach.
SS
Campaign started 2015
Currently 40% of UK has an FLS
By the end of 2017 > 90% coverage
All will have same standards of service
How has the charity worked to deliver the solution???
March 153 sites
Green = new services being developed from scratch (nothing)
Blue = contact only at this stage
Purple = quality improvement of service through peer support
Yellow = quality improvement of service through additional commissioning
- A part service (just a slice a cake )
- Others have a very full service which covers all aspects of the NOS standards (icing and cherries on top on their cake)
- Others somewhere in the middle
2014 NOS bought together national and local stakeholders,
Organise for a big meeting with interested parties find the mover and shaker to lead
clinical and patient representatives to form the FLS implementation group to cover all of UK
NHSE; PHE
So this is what the NOS does……….as part of the FLSIG
National and international* evaluations showing Nakayama and Major paper
‘evidence of effectiveness of a fls to reduce the refracture rate ‘ osteo international nov 2015
Improved case-finding
Improved treatment of osteoporosis
Fewer fractures
Cost savings
Mature examples show long term benefits
IDENTIFY – Find the patients
INVESTIGATE – Assess the patient
INFORM – Explain to the patient
INTERVENE – Treat the patient
INTEGRATE – Follow-up the patient
QUALITY – Is the key to it all
KNOW WHEN TO REFER ON
FALLS/COMPLEX CASES…….
In UK Gap Analysis is structured questioning with key clinical staff to establish degree of existing service against the Standards
Informative – information for the Charity; highlights the Standards to services unaware of them
Detailed – precise questioning, into all aspects of sub-categories within main Standards
Specific – to the site involved; inclusive of associated services
Targeted – goals/actions following consultation in line with what service wants to achieve
Constructive – never critical; suggestive
SS
Other patients – consultant walk past k wiring patient in next bed to a hip fracture
Radiology – consider a weekly vertebral fracture search if radiologists are reporting in a similar way
Incidental #’s where patient is admitted for a copd and found to have a spinal fracture on x ray needs including or referral made to FLS
Which ever pathway , it needs to follow 5IQ and NOS 10 standards
NOS developed benefits calculator to
Estimate fracture incidence for specific UK CCG populations
Estimate number of fractures prevented over 5 years
Estimate financial benefit based on fractures prevented
101 hip fractures saved over 5 years
total saved £1,965,188 to acute, community and primary care + social
Costs are approx. 40% of benefits
Choose 2 x 0.6 over 1.2 WTE to give continuity Consider lower grade if no experience
Grow your own from ortho/rheum/medicine
Mandatory training (+FPP as a minimum) Annual leave Study leave Term time contracts
Other roles – senior nurse bleep holder
Travel to clinics if on other sites , Plan for succession planning/turnover of staff , Maternity/Paternity leave
Make the service attractive to work for!............
FLS Implementation Toolkit developed to support providers and commissioners to enable commissioning of services
This tool – like a fishing rod
Officially launched April 2015 @ BSR
Accessed by hospitals and GP practices
Endorsed by 10 leading educational and professional bodies
Accessed from across 15 different countries including US, AUS, NZ, SA, CA, ROI, FR……..
Standard and Advanced modules
Acknowledgements – SDT - Hilary, Tim, Jo, Mayrine, Debbie, Henry, Fiona; and all at NOS