Description

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This nation faces a serious yet largely unknown health problem. More than one in 10 Americans either has or is at risk of developing a bone disease. Yet the vast majority of these individuals remain undiagnosed and untreated. As a result, bone disease exacts a huge toll on the nation. Osteoporosis, by far the most common bone disease, is responsible for approximately 1.5 million fractures each year. As many as 300,000 individuals who suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture die as a result of complications from the injury. Concerns about the large toll that bone diseases are inflicting on the nation has led the Surgeon General to launch a major campaign aimed at improving bone health. A core component of this campaign was the Surgeon General's Workshop on Osteoporosis and Bone Health, held December 12th and 13th of 2002 in Washington, DC. This meeting served as an opportunity for key stakeholders to provide input on the most important priorities for The Surgeon General's Report on Osteoporosis and Bone Health. The workshop was preceded by an invitation made through the Surgeon General's Website to the public to share ideas about the priorities for the workshop and the upcoming Surgeon General's Report. These comments emphasized the importance of public education, education and training of health professionals, better access to services, better information (especially for those at risk), and more research and guidelines for prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The workshop was designed with these public comments in mind. The goal was to identify the most important issues in bone health from a variety of perspectives, including those of the public, providers, payers, the research community, and industry. It was structured to compile the best evidence from the best minds, with the information being used as a foundation for the 2004 Surgeon General's Report. To that end, the workshop included presentations from experts in bone research and treatment, health promotion and disease prevention, Federal officials, and advocacy organizations. It also provided an opportunity to hear from people who live with bone disease every day. Most important, the workshop included time for attendees to break into groups to discuss the challenges and opportunities for action to improve bone health within six discrete areas: 1) public awareness and marketing, 2) health care professional knowledge and attitudes, 3) research on health promotion, 4) early prevention through healthy lifestyles and awareness, 5) access to diagnosis, screening, and treatment, and 6) state and local strategies.