Comparing Digital, Face-to-Face, and General Patient Education for People Over 50 With Osteoporosis

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of patient education for people aged 50 and older who have osteoporosis or osteopenia. This randomized clinical trial compares three educational approaches to see how they affect osteoporosis self-care, quality of life, fracture risk, illness perception, physical activity, physical function, fear of falling, and pain. The study is sponsored by the University Hospital, Linkoeping, and aims to understand differences in outcomes among these education methods. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups a control group receiving standard osteoporosis information via an open website a face-to-face education group attending three 2-hour sessions led by physiotherapists and a physician or nurse over 2 months and a digital education group accessing nine online modules over one year. The digital program includes text, images, videos, exercises, and quizzes, with adherence tracked by module access, while attendance is recorded for face-to-face sessions. Participants complete questionnaires and physical tests at the start, and at 3 and 12 months follow-up. Some will also wear accelerometers to measure physical activity and sedentary behavior at these times. The main outcome measures include osteoporosis-specific self-care at 12 months, with additional assessments of health-related quality of life, fear of falling, illness perception, medication beliefs, physical activity, fracture risk, pain, balance, and physical performance. The study lasts at least one year with ongoing monitoring of participant progress.

Patient Education in Osteoporosis (RCT-PATOS)