Going for Gold in Latin America!
Capture the Fracture highlights champions in secondary fracture prevention
Two gold-standard Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) in the Latin American region have participated in a campaign launched by the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s Capture the Fracture® (CTF) programme to share insights and to inspire FLS services around the world to ‘go for gold’.
While the world was watching the highest level of athletic achievement at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, other champions around the world were performing at Gold-Medal levels of fracture care and prevention. Through their expertise and extraordinary commitment to secondary fracture prevention, these gold-level Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) have achieved the highest standards of post-fracture care for their patients, as assessed by the Capture the Fracture® (CTF) Best Practice Framework.
Eighteen of the 120 Gold-level FLS within the CTF network, which comprises more than 1000 FLS worldwide, responded to a call for participation in a campaign launched for World Osteoporosis Day – nine from the Asia Pacific, seven from Europe, and two from Latin America. The campaign aims to celebrate hospitals achieving the highest level of care according to international standards, while raising awareness of the urgent need for accessible gold-standard care for all patients who suffer a fragility fracture. Everyone wins with gold-standard fracture care and prevention!
IOF thanks the following contributing FLS in Latin America for their insights about key strategies needed to reach gold-standard level of care:
Sanatorio Las Lomas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) of the Center for Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition, and Diabetes (CEM) at Sanatorio Las Lomas in Buenos Aires, Argentina is the first FLS in the country to achieve Gold. Now in its seventh year of operation, the FLS was awarded the gold standard designation this year. The team is composed of endocrinologists, traumatologists, rheumatologists, geriatricians, internists, gynaecologists, and imaging specialists, all working collaboratively toward shared goals. The FLS manages all fracture types.
« The experience has been extremely rewarding, as we have significantly reduced the incidence of second and third fractures among the 930 patients participating in the FLS. A year ago, we incorporated a Fall Prevention Group led by an occupational therapist specializing in the field. We use visual materials and conduct community talks, both in person and through social media stories and presentations on the Sanatorio Las Lomas platforms. Our greatest challenge is to capture all patients who come to our private hospital, both as outpatients and inpatients. Once enrolled, patients undergo a comprehensive evaluation, including a physical exam, laboratory tests, and a DXA scan within eight weeks of their fracture. They receive individualized treatment and are followed up within eight weeks to assess treatment adherence and tolerance, with another follow-up scheduled six months into the treatment.”
Clinic Santo Antonio, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
The FLS has been a Gold-level service since 2021 and sees approximately 140 patients each year who have suffered all types of fractures. In addition to patient care, the FLS is also dedicated to raising public awareness of osteoporosis. It organized a fracture prevention event on October 20th at Lago do Taboão in Bragança Paulista, with the participation of medical students from the São Francisco University and orthopedics and traumatology residents from the São Francisco de Assis University Hospital in Providencia de Deus. The awareness campaign for the population provided information about osteoporosis and the importance of prevention.
Dr Guilherme Chohfi de Miguel, FLS lead, orthopaedist and traumatologist, stated:
“After hard work to find a way to attract patients who have suffered fractures, many referred by other specialists or even by patients who are already part of the project, I had the pleasure of having the FLS recognized as a gold standard service. Along with this comes a huge responsibility, knowing that we have a quality service and continue the daily fight to prevent fractures, seeking better aging. I am sure that what I have been doing in my routine care has had a very positive impact on patients and their families, which brings immense personal satisfaction.”