Medical professionals, register for the Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO19) here. Early bird registration ends March 15!
The chances for understanding and managing any medical condition are increased when diagnosis and treatment options for a condition are approached holistically. That’s why we’re proud to facilitate the annual Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO19). While the symposium itself is primarily targeted toward healthcare providers, we want NOF supporters to know about the advances in bone health, as it truly exemplifies our mission in action. We are not only focused on supporting those dealing with osteoporosis now, but also on improving how the disease is diagnosed and treated.
Osteoporosis is unique from other chronic diseases in that there isn’t a streamlined or systematic approach, across the healthcare system, with how it is prevented, diagnosed and treated. When someone has a heart attack and visits the emergency room, they leave that visit not only having been treated for the emergency event, but with a clear plan of action on what to do next. They will see a cardiologist, follow up with their primary care provider, be prescribed a suite of certain standard medications or tests, along with being educated on diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. There is a streamlined best practice within our healthcare system that heart patients follow to get their heart condition under control. With osteoporosis, the road to diagnosis and treatment can be much murkier.
Take this example: a postmenopausal woman over the age of 50 checks into the emergency room with a broken wrist. She may be treated for that break and then sent home, with only minimal follow-up recommended, usually to see her primary care provider and maybe a physical therapist. It is still all too common for the patient to receive treatment of only the broken wrist itself, rather than being screened for osteoporosis or the underlying cause of the break/fracture.
That is exactly what we’re trying to change.
ISO19, this year’s planned gathering, is set for May 15-19, 2019 in La Jolla, California. It will focus on the latest developments and advances in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and technology of osteoporosis. People are often unaware of the statistics, but osteoporosis affects an estimated ten million Americans, with some 34 million more at increased risk of developing the disease.
As many as 500 healthcare professionals from a variety of practice areas are expected to attend the symposium. They will take advantage of courses on bone health assessment, osteoporosis diagnosis and patient management, exercise, nutrition, post fracture care, as well as other specialty topics that address clinical practice management, current research advancements, education, outreach, and emerging challenges and opportunities. The four-day symposium is a prime opportunity for leaders in the field to present research, exchange ideas and interact with colleagues and industry counterparts in the varied medical disciplines and specialties working with patients who have and/or are at risk for osteoporosis and fractures. Because osteoporosis is often diagnosed by a woman’s gynecologist, or a man’s primary care doctor, it’s important that our symposium welcome attendees across a variety of healthcare disciplines.
One of the more anticipated offerings of ISO19 is giving medical professionals the opportunity to earn their Certificate of Completion for our Fracture Liaison Service (FLS or FLS Advanced). When a patient breaks a bone, it’s important they get the right medical treatment and follow-up to make certain they don’t experience more fractures. That’s where the FLS program comes into play. This FLS training emphasizes the importance of appropriate patient assessment, treatment initiation, medical follow-up and care coordination for a patient after they have experienced a fracture. . Continuing Medical Education (CME/ED) credits will also be offered, with a focus on areas of bone health assessment, osteoporosis diagnosis and patient management, exercise, nutrition and post fracture care, as well as other specialty topics.
ISO19 features the latest educational opportunities that physicians and practitioners need to stay at the leading edge of osteoporosis medicine, and is a unique chance for networking with colleagues from similar disciplines. It’s a heartening thought for us to consider just how the impacts of ISO19 will reverberate throughout the country; 500 attendees will return home with new tools and knowledge to better treat the hundreds of patients they see each week. In doing so, we can not only impact how many people are diagnosed and receive treatment early, but we can continue to change the culture around osteoporosis, and bring more awareness to this still all too silent disease.