Title

Improving Osteoporosis Screening Rates of Women in a Primary Care Setting

Author

Kristine E. Davis, Valparaiso University

Date of Award

5-5-2022

Degree Type

Evidence-Based Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Mackenzie Shireman

Abstract

Osteoporosis is caused by caused by low bone mass, microarchitecture disruption and increase in skeletal fragility (Rosen & Drezner, 2021). This disease presents as a silent disease without any clinical manifestations and increases risk for bone fracture. The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project was to increase screening rates for osteoporosis in the female population by mailing a patient reminder letter to the home of qualifying patients in the primary care setting and to determine if mailing a patient reminder letter would increase screening rates. The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare professionals (JHEBP) model was used as a framework to guide the project for the 77 females at a small primary care clinic in northern Indiana. After organizational approval of this EBP project, letter reminders were created and mailed to those females who were 65 years and older and who did not have a reported DXA screen on their electronic medical record. To determine if the mailed reminder was effective, data was collected from the literature evidence pieces and then compared to the post-intervention group data. The data was analyzed using the binomial test in an effort to determine the effectiveness of the patient mailed reminder letter. Implications for practice to be discussed.

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Recommended Citation

Davis, Kristine E., "Improving Osteoporosis Screening Rates of Women in a Primary Care Setting" (2022). Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports. 182.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/ebpr/182