Title:Management of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis by Moroccan General
Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Author(s): Ahmed Mougui*Imane El Bouchti
Affiliation:
- Department of Rheumatology, Arrazi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Marrakech, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech, Morocco.
Keywords:
Osteoporosis, questionnaire, general practitioner, management, survey, practices.
Abstract:
Background: Despite the existence of effective treatments and prescribed therapeutic
protocols, there is a lack of management of osteoporosis, resulting in increased secondary morbidity
and mortality. The general practitioner (GP) is the first-line practitioner for the detection and management
of osteoporosis.
Objective: This study was conducted to explore the practices, knowledge, and difficulties in postmenopausal
osteoporosis management reported by GPs.
Methods: An anonymous questionnaire (19 questions) was created via Google Forms and distributed
to 300 GPs via social networks (WhatsApp, Facebook, and Gmail). The survey results were automatically
calculated on “Google Forms” and checked using SPSS.20 software.
Results: A total of 129 responses were received, representing a response rate of 43%. The majority
of respondents were women (67.2%). The definition of osteoporosis was variable, with 51.6% defining
it as a T-score of ≤-2.5 SD, 25.8% defining it as diffuse bone demineralization, and 12.1%
defining it as a fracture after falling with low energy. Prolonged corticosteroid therapy was the most
commonly indicated reason for measuring bone mineral density (BMD) (81.39%). The calcium
phosphate balance was the most requested (90.1%). Vitamin D and calcium supplementation were
reported by 74.41% and 54.26% of GPs, respectively. Fracture of the upper end of the femur was
the main therapeutic indication (65.11%). Most GPs surveyed (73.3%) were unfamiliar with the
fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Most of the GPs gave advice on fall prevention to their patients
(83.72%), and 62.5% of GPs monitored their patients' height. Anti-osteoporosis treatment was
maintained for 3 to 5 years by 44.96% of GPs.
Conclusion: Our survey found that the practices and knowledge of GPs on osteoporosis vary widely
and often deviate from the recommended standards. This highlights the need for more excellent
education of GPs, due to their vital role in the management of osteoporosis.