American Bone Health receives innovation award.

American Bone Health received an award for excellence in program innovation for its Put a Brake on Fractures campaign at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The award, established by an endowment from the Archstone Foundation to the Aging and Public Health Section of APHA, recognizes best practice models. Put a Brake on Fractures campaign utilized the FORE Fracture Risk Calculator™ (FRC), a web-based tool that determines a person’s 10-year risk for having a fracture, as the campaign’s call to action. With media partner, CBS5, the campaign reached over one million older adults in Northern California through 120-ninty second vignettes. Over 3,700 adults went to the calculator to determine their risk for fracture. “Fracture risk is the newest concept in bone health and osteoporosis prevention.” According to Kathleen Cody, FORE’s Executive Director. “This tool gives people a visual representation of their risk and helps facilitate a conversation with their doctor about treatment and prevention.” Among those who used the tool during the campaign, 20.4% were shown to be a high risk for fracture and an additional 24.9% were at moderate risk. “Individuals at high or moderate risk should talk with their doctor about osteoporosis. “ states Dr. Claude Arnaud, President of American Bone Health’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. “Most doctors should consider giving these patients a bone density test to determine the appropriate strategy to prevent fractures.”   The success of the campaign was due to partnerships with media, corporate sponsors and hospital partners.  Since the campaign, over 35,000 individuals, both consumers and physicians have used the tool.