Osteoporosis as Perceived by Saudi Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study of Quality of Practice and Current Barriers in Management

BackgroundOsteoporosis (OP) is a state of abnormal bone quality and architecture that leads to fragility fractures, with lifetime costs reaching 16.27 billion Saudi Arabian Riyal (SAR). MethodsAn electronic survey was distributed to physicians from July 2020 to May 2021 to assess the quality of the practice of physicians toward OP and barriers in OP management in Saudi Arabia. Specialties included were endocrinology, general medicine, family medicine, primary care, orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, obstetrics and gynecology, and geriatrics. ResultsA total of 177 surveys were eligible (55.9% female and 44.1% male). The majority were family consultants (42.9%). In terms of knowledge, 18.1% of our sample recognized all risk factors, and 24.9% recognized all indications to assess bone density. A central dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was accessible to only 49.4% of the sample. Over 80% of the sample performed comprehensive laboratory workup. Although 68.4% of participants were aware of fracture risk assessment (FRAX), 53.7% used it in their practice. The most cited barrier was a lack of physicians' awareness (80.2%), followed by a lack of patients' awareness (63.6%). The specialty was significantly associated with the awareness of the densitometry certificate (P value < 0.0001) and the use of FRAX (P-value = 0.0001). ConclusionOur results revealed a below-satisfactory quality of practice among Saudi physicians toward OP. Additionally, our results identified many gaps in knowledge and many barriers to optimal care.