The International Osteoporosis Foundation’s landmark Capture the Fracture^® (CTF) program celebrated a significant milestone as it welcomed the 900th Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) to the network in December 2023. Now, the CTF Global Map of Best Practice numbers 911 FLS in 56 countries.

The CTF network has grown by 137 % since the end of 2019, and together the FLSs see more than 504,000 patients annually, thus making a major contribution to secondary fracture prevention and post-fracture outcomes in all regions of the world.

IOF President Professor Cyrus Cooper, stated:  “We are exceedingly proud of the IOF Capture the Fracture^® program, a global platform for Fracture Liaison Service recognition, sustainability, and development. This latest milestone in the expansion of network attests to the growing importance of the program as a catalyst for secondary fracture prevention worldwide.”

An FLS is a model of coordinator-based post-fracture care in which a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals proactively identifies fracture patients and facilitates osteoporosis treatment and follow-up. The FLS model is a proven and effective way to improve patient outcomes and reduce the post-fracture osteoporosis treatment gap.

A patient who has suffered a first fracture is at very high risk of sustaining more serious and potentially life-threatening fractures in the future, and that risk is highest in the next one to two years. Despite the threat of secondary fractures to the well-being of older adults, and the high direct and indirect costs to healthcare systems, osteoporosis remains vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated even in patients who have already sustained a first fracture. Approximately 80% of these high-risk patients do not receive the timely care needed to protect themselves against secondary fractures.

IOF CEO Dr Philippe Halbout stated: “Effective post-fracture care has the potential to protect futures and improve patients’ recovery. We urge healthcare systems to consider the benefits of implementing Fracture Liaison Services within all hospitals that treat fracture patients. We also extend an invitation to all hospitals that have established such coordinator-based post-fracture care services to join our growing global network.” 

Capture the Fracture^® provides free recognition and sets global best practices based on the CTF Best Practice Framework (BPF), the internationally-endorsed guidance for excellence in secondary fracture prevention. Upon completion of the online BPF Questionnaire, FLS receive:

• Visibility and recognition for their FLS on the Capture the Fracture^® Map of Best Practice;
• Peer-review of their FLS by the CTF Governance. This allows the FLS to benchmark its service against the internationally endorsed Best Practice Framework, to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement;
• Receipt of a certificate of achievement and use of the IOF-approved Capture the Fracture^® Best Practice Recognition logo on their service’s website and materials;
• Access to a wide range of resources and tools, as well as a network of international experts who can share their expertise and also provide mentorship and support.

Applying services are evaluated against the 13 BPF standards based on their organizational characteristics and standards of care for four key fragility fracture patient groups - hip fractures, other in-patient fractures, outpatient fractures, and vertebral fractures. Following expert evaluation, the FLS receives an overall rating of gold, silver, bronze, or blue for those which are newly established. Those with a final gold, silver, or bronze rating are awarded a Capture the Fracture® Best Practice Recognition Certificate of Achievement. FLS administrators can have their services re-evaluated every 12 months through their personal online account.

New and established Fracture Liaison Services are invited to learn more and join the Capture the Fracture^® program by visiting https://www.capturethefracture.org/best-practice-framework-questionnaire.

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About Capture the Fracture^®
Capture the Fracture^® (CTF) is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). The initiative hopes to drive changes at local and international levels to make secondary fracture prevention a reality. Its aim is to set global best practices for Fracture Liaison Services (FLS), while serving as a benchmark tool to which clinics and hospitals can adhere and aspire to, and receive international recognition. The CTF program has a diverse set of tools that provides essential resources and documentation to drive quality improvement in FLS; CTF also offers mentorship programs that support the development of FLS at the local level. The CTF network, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, currently includes more than 900 FLS in 56 countries worldwide. 
https://www.capturethefracture.org #CaptureTheFracture 

About IOF
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers as well as 330 patient, medical and research societies, work together to make fracture prevention and healthy mobility a worldwide healthcare priority. https://www.osteoporosis.foundation @iofbonehealth