Praktisk Medicin launches knowledge test in Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, osteoporosis, has become one of the major public diseases in Sweden. Every second Swedish woman and every fourth man gets an osteoporosis fracture during his life. There are still many patients who do not receive adequate treatment from the care. Praktisk Medicin is now launching a knowledge test to give doctors an opportunity to be updated in osteoporosis.

Andreas Kindmark, Associate Professor and Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University Hospital in Uppsala. Andreas has fact-checked PM Academy’s education

Osteoporosis is a chronic public disease that breaks down the skeleton and mainly affects women. Fractures that occur in connection with everyday activities that should not normally be harmful, can be a sign of advanced osteoporosis. Fractures can occur, for example, when you cough, sneeze, bend forward, lift something or fall from standing. Unfortunately, the knowledge about osteoporosis still varies among many who work in health care and this means that many people have to go without help for a long time.

– Approximately 70,000 osteoporosis-related fractures occur in Sweden annually. Fractures of the vertebrae and hips are most serious and often lead to reduced function, reduced quality of life and increased mortality. Therefore, it is important that all patients who show signs of osteoporosis are properly investigated. I encourage all forms of education that can increase knowledge in healthcare to help patients with osteoporosis, says Andreas Kindmark, associate professor and chief physician at the University Hospital in Uppsala who has been involved in reviewing the education.

Through the newly launched PM Academy, doctors can test their knowledge in various disease areas and first out is an education in Osteoporosis. These are short interactive trainings that can be carried out digitally on PraktiskMedicin.se or in paper format at the workplace.

– Every second woman and every fourth man has osteoporosis, but only 17 percent are treated. The Osteoporosis Association works to reach out to healthcare with, among other things, osteoporosis schools. We continue to get involved so that more and more people will receive adequate care, says Lisa Lennerlöf, chairman of the Osteoporosis Association.

The focus of the education is primarily primary care, where extra attention should be paid to patients who have had fractures that may indicate osteoporosis. The education is produced by Praktisk Medicin, which is owned by Add Health Media AB. The training has received independent financial support from the pharmaceutical company Amgen AB.

References: Läkartidningen 44-45 / 2016, Osteoporosis Association

For more information contact: Pernilla Bloom, Editor-in-Chief of Praktisk Medicin, [email protected] , 0733-648 497

About the Osteoporosis Association

The nationwide association of osteoporotics works to spread knowledge about the disease and to improve healthcare for those affected. For more information go to www.osteoporos.org

About Praktisk Medicin

In 1976, the general practitioner Bertil Flöistrup created the book PM Praktisk Medicin. In recent years, general practitioners Mikael Sahlqvist, Lars-Olof Medin and Mats Elm have taken over and updated and built on both the book and started the website Praktiskmedicin.se. Another 80 or so specialists have helped update the content annually, for the past 40 years.

• Decision basis for over 1,000 diagnoses
• Praktiskmedicin.se has over 250,000 visits per month

From 2017, Add Health Media (AHM), a strong player in health and medicine, has taken over the baton to continue to develop and update Praktisk Medicin. AHM also runs DOKTORN with one of the Nordic region’s most visited websites for the general public and patients, DOKTORN.com, the magazine DOKTORN, waiting room TV in the form of DOKTORN TV and brochure stands for patients in the care waiting room.