Research User Group Newsletter Keele University RUG Spring / Summer edition | Page 13

Fracture Liaison Services
I
 n February six RUG members met with Dr Zoe
Paskins, Consultant Rheumatologist at The Haywood
Haywood Hospital, to create a patient response to a
national audit on fracture services. They looked at
Fracture Liaison Services (FLS), which is a
multidisciplinary system approach to reducing
subsequent fracture risk in patients with a recent fragility
fracture by identifying them when they are treated at the
hospital for fracture and providing them easy access to
bone health assessments and osteoporosis care. The
group discussed the findings, reviewed the draft report of
the national audit and created a 200 word piece of work
which will now be included in the report.
The group’s response is as follows:
“Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a clear example of
an initiative that benefits both the health service and
patients. There is a need for greater public awareness
of the importance and role of FLS. There is also a
requirement for patient engagement and
straightforward appropriate patient information that
reflects what these services offer.
“Therefore, we welcome this important audit which
highlights a previously neglected issue and potentially
raises public awareness.
“We believe FLSs should be compulsory and
participation in the audit should be mandatory. This
audit should be the gateway to proactively improving
data collection, health care and overall wellbeing of
local communities. For example, the report highlights
the key benefits of telephone follow up. However, the
audit findings also reflect very variable data and we
believe this requires further investigation. In
particular, we are disappointed to see the low number
of people who are evidenced in the report as having a
falls assessment.
“We agree with the key recommendation that units
that consistently demonstrate good practice should be
used as exemplars to facilitate the improvement of
other FLSs. All FLSs should continue to work closely
with patients to increase their engagement.
"We look forward to future results from this audit
programme. We hope that it will evidence much
needed improvements nationally in the quality of
provision.”
Physiotherapy
Research Facilitators 
I
n December, members of the RUG met with
two Physiotherapy Research Facilitators; Tina
Hadley-Barrows and Treena Larkin, to discuss
their unique role in bridging the gap between
research activity and clinical practice.
They talked to the RUG about how their work
could be disseminated more widely and RUG
members agreed that the work of the PRF’s
should be considered as early as possible in the
research design process.
Ideas for dissemination included conferences
and other patient networks. RUG members
discovered that their work has many similarities
in the work carried out by the RUG and felt that
this should be showcased mor e widely. To this
end, we have organised for them to present to
the RUG Steering Group.
"We look forward to
future results from this
audit programme. We
hope that it will
evidence much needed
improvements
nationally in the
quality of provision.”
- Tina Hadley-Barrows &
Treena Larkin,
Physiotherapy Research
Facilitators
RESEARCH UPDATES
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