USBJI Celebrates 500th Fit to a T Session
Fit to a T, the U.S. Bone & Joint Initiative’s (USBJI) free public education 
program on bone health and osteoporosis, reached a milestone this week with the presentation of its 500th session.
“We developed Fit to a T as a sustainable public education program, in response to the Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis. Bone health has a significant impact on overall health for everyone, regardless of race or whether you are male or female. Participants in the program learn how to maintain their bone health and how to identify their own risk factors for bone loss and osteoporosis. Being able to celebrate the 500th session demonstrates the continued public interest in this topic,” says Kimberly Templeton, MD, president, USBJI and chair of the USBJI Fit to a T Task Force.
“We don’t believe there are many programs of this type that have reached this milestone. The USBJI thanks all the healthcare presenters that developed this program and continue to keep it current, our program partners, those that have provided financial support to make it possible to offer the program free of charge, the hundreds of presenters and organizations who have held sessions, and the nearly 20,000 patients and members of the public that have participated in the sessions.”
Members of the Catonsville Senior Center in Maryland gather to celebrate the 500th session of Fit to a T, presented by Laxmi Suryanarayana, PT.
“More and more people are hearing about osteoporosis and low bone density. This program provides information on the basics of bone health, factors that can lead to loss of bone, ways to avoid a fracture, and the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. It also raises awareness of the impact of bone loss among people not typically thought to be at risk for developing osteoporosis, especially men and African Americans,” Dr. Templeton said.
Relevant to all ages, Fit to a T is targeted at men and women in their mid-40s to late 60s, as well as seniors and others who have had or are at risk of having a broken bone.
For further information please visit the USBJI website here.
BJD commits to tackle healthy ageing in Europe
To tackle the demographic challenge of ageing, the European Commission has launched the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) as an integral component of the Europe 2020 Strategy. By exploring and promoting effective innovative solutions, the Partnership aims to raise the average healthy lifespan of Europeans by two years by 2020.
The Bone and Joint Decade (BJD) has been invited to play a key working role in the partnership as part of the specific action for Frailty and Functional Decline.
The BJD has outlined its commitment to improve musculoskeletal health in Europe as one of the key barriers to active, healthy ageing which is essential to keep people economically independent throughout the life course. The BJD initiative will focus on providing data research and the tools that deliver data research. This will empower the musculoskeletal community, policy makers, employers, health workers and citizens to optimise their musculoskeletal health and enable active ageing throughout the life course.
The BJD initiative known as Musculoskeletal Data Research – Analysis Tool (M-RAT) will include four interdependent work-streams which are: 1) Preventing frailty 2) Enabling sustainability in the workplace 3) Enabling people to self-care their long term musculoskeletal health 4) Ensuring health workers understand musculoskeletal health issues and their link to ageing.
We look forward to our future involvement with the partnership. Click here to find out more about the partnership.
AAOS study suggests significant economic value in musculoskeletal treatment
A study sponsored by American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and published online in the journal Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation examines the societal value of specific orthopaedic surgery procedures and finds that physical activity limitations may be associated with worse economic outcomes.
“From the perspectives of the patient, employers, and society, the ‘value’ of appropriate medical treatment extends beyond current and future medical expenditures and includes things like whether people can maintain their own independence, remain productively employed, avoid payments for disability or long-term care, and have an overall improvement of their quality of life,” said John R. Tongue, MD, AAOS president.
Results showed that improved physical function was associated with higher likelihood of employment, higher household income, fewer missed work days, and reduced likelihood of receiving supplemental security income for disability.
“With this new methodology, we are able to examine, for the first time, musculoskeletal care as it relates to specific conditions, and uncover the societal and economic benefits currently overlooked in the larger health care value discussion. In an increasingly cost- and quality-conscious health care environment, this analysis provides critical insight into what the true value of orthopaedic care means for patients.”
Importantly, this model provides a foundation to assess the value of procedures and health services, both within and beyond the field of orthopaedics, where primary data are limited.
To read the full story please click here
To download the paper please click here