2009 IOF-AMGEN Health Professional Awareness Grants aim to raise osteoporosis awareness

Patient societies from Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Singapore recognized for their innovative projects

While awareness of osteoporosis among the public and health professionals is growing, there is still work to be done to ensure that doctors and other health professionals are adequately prepared to advise patients on the best possible care for osteoporosis.

Presented today at the International Osteoporosis Foundation's (IOF) Worldwide Conference of Osteoporosis Patient Societies in Beijing, the 2009 IOF-AMGEN Health Professional Awareness Grants aim to support innovative and cost effective projects by IOF member societies that focus on improving knowledge and raising awareness of osteoporosis among clinicians and allied health professionals.

The five grants, valued at 10,000 USD each, were awarded to the following IOF member societies:

• Armenian Osteoporosis Association for a broad campaign to increase knowledge among the population of Armenia, encompassing educational seminars and training sessions for doctors and medical students.

• Aktion Gesunde Knochen - Action for Healthy Bones (Austria) for a campaign to provide osteoporosis education to nurses and GP's assistants. With improved knowledge and communication skills these allied health professionals can make an important contribution to osteoporosis prevention and encourage adherence of osteoporosis patients to prescribed treatment.

• Bulgarian League for the Prevention of Osteoporosis (BLPO) for a novel teaching project that involves "patient role-play" in one-day courses for health professionals. The engaging format of the course is aimed at enhancing the health professional's ability to identify high risk patients.

• Hungarian Osteoporosis Patient Association (HOPA) for the production of a video clip featuring an entertaining role play where cases studies and questions raised by patients are put into the form of a dialogue and play. HOPA expects that the CD will become a key resource in encouraging patient centered-healthcare.

• Osteoporosis Society Singapore, for an awareness program specifically targeting allied health professionals, including nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists and pharmacists.