Call for Evidence

The APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health is conducting an inquiry into how osteoporosis patients are supported and empowered in their care.

People with osteoporosis often move between secondary, primary and community care; and they often draw upon the support of a range of professionals, such as GPs, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and others. However, given patients are often experts in their own care, we believe they must be empowered to actively participate in their healthcare decisions, while also being able to draw upon the support of professionals where necessary.

To inform our work we would welcome the views of health care professionals, clinical experts, patient organisations, charities, academics and health policy professionals. Your work may directly relate to osteoporosis care, another long-term health condition from which we could learn, or more generally relate to patient empowerment and involvement.

We will be conducting a separate survey to gather views from people with lived experience of osteoporosis.

The APPG welcomes evidence on the following points, including any examples of good practice:

Practice:

• Identifying high-risk patients.
• Empowering patients to manage their own care at different stages of the care pathway (practice).
• The roles of the various professionals involved in the care of osteoporosis (or other long term conditions) at the stages of the care pathway; including how this multi-disciplinary team can work most effectively together in support of the patient.
• Effective practice from the management of other long term conditions that could be replicated in osteoporosis care to better empower patients to manage their own condition.
• The role of multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) in improving care and empowering patients.
• How MDTs work together to support and empower the patient.

Policy

• Empowering patients to manage their own care at different stages of the care pathway.
• The role of civil society in supporting and empowering patients in the care they receive.
• Effective practice from the management of other long term conditions that could be replicated in osteoporosis care to better empower patients to manage their own condition (policy).
• How policy can support the development and effectiveness of multi-disciplinary teams in empowering patients.

We’re particularly interested in these areas within the context of the NHS’s three key shifts:

• moving care from hospitals to communities;
• making better use of technology;
• focussing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.

Please ensure your response is no more than 1,000 words. You can submit your response as a PDF or Word document via APPG@theros.org.uk

Your submission will be used to inform the APPG’s work and may be published in full or in part.

The closing date for responses is: Tuesday 26 August