Evaluation of Police General Hospital's Fracture Liaison Service (PGH's FLS): The first study of a Fracture Liaison Service in Thailand

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the Fracture Liaison service (FLS) in preventing secondary fracture and decreasing 1-year mortality rate after osteoporotic hip fracture, in patients at Police General Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted. We studied male and female patients, 50 years of age and older, who presented with a fragility fracture around the hip due to low energy trauma and were admitted to Police General Hospital, participating in PGH's Liaison service from April 1, 2014–March 30, 2015. The sample size was 75 patients, with a follow up time of 1 year. The data from this study was compared with that of a previous study done by Tanawat A. et al. [9] prior to commencement of the FLS project. RESULTS: After a follow up period of 1 year, the mortality rate was measured to be 10.7% and there was no evidence of secondary fragility fracture. Post-injury bone mineral density follow up and osteoporotic medication treatment rates were 48% and 80%, respectively. Patients who participated in the project were found to have a decreasing rate of secondary fracture from 30% to 0% (P < 0.0001), an increasing post-injury BMD follow up rate from 28.3% to 48% (P = 0.0053), and an increase in post-injury osteoporotic medication administration rate from 40.8% to 80% (P = 0.0148), all with statistical significance. However, the 1-year mortality rate was not significant (P = 0.731) when compared to the previous study. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with recent hip fractures participating in the Fracture Liaison service had a significantly higher post-injury BMD follow up and osteoporotic medication administration rates. This resulted in a lower risk of secondary fracture than those who did not participate in the Fracture Liaison service at a follow up time of one year.