ISCD News
IOF-ISCD review clarifies the use of FRAX® in clinical
practice (8/2/2011)
Details strengths and limitations of the tool, provides recommendations
for using surrogate country models
FRAX® is a computer-based algorithm developed by the World Health
Organization Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases to help predict
the 10-year risk of fragility fracture. Now with 34 specific country models,
FRAX is being used increasingly by physicians around the world to help assess
their patients’ fracture risk in the course of a clinical assessment.
In
a newly published review paper, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)
and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) detail the
findings of a joint Task Force that met in November 2011 for the ‘ISCD IOF FRAX
Initiative’ meeting. The objective was to make recommendations on how to improve
FRAX and better inform clinicians using the tool.
Read More...
ISCD 2011-2012 Developing Clinical Researcher Grants - (5/1/2011)
The International Society for
Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) is proud to announce a Developing Clinical
Researcher Grant Program. The program’s purpose is to support small,
high-quality research projects that identify issues, expand knowledge, explore
new pathways in osteoporosis and skeletal assessments, and to develop thought
leaders in the area of osteoporosis and skeletal assessment. This program is
intended to support new investigators without current or past NIH R01 research
project support (those below the rank of associate professor), and qualify as
early stage investigators by NIH rules.
For 2011-2012, two grants with a
maximum budget of $70,000 each will be awarded. This activity is supported by
an educational donation provided by Amgen. Read More....
ISCD-IOF collaboration to create courses setting highest
standards in diagnostic training (4/15/2011)
ISCD and IOF extend Latin American collaboration worldwide to develop
a new international densitometry course, with appropriate
certification.
Two leading international organizations in the bone field are joining forces
to establish a global series of training courses. The International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) and the International Osteoporosis
Foundation (IOF)
have agreed to work together to develop an exciting new series of training
courses which will set new standards in health education in the diagnosis and
management of osteoporosis. Read More....
2010 Official Positions of the ISCD/IOF on the Interpretation and Use of
FRAX in Clinical Practice (4/1/2011)
The International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) and the
International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) convened the FRAX® Position
Development Conference (PDC) in Bucharest, Romania, on November 14, 2010,
following a two-day joint meeting of the ISCD and IOF on the "Interpretation and
Use of FRAX® in Clinical Practice". These three days of critical discussion and
debate, led by a panel of international experts from ISCD, IOF and by dedicated
task forces, have clarified a number of important issues pertaining to the
interpretation and implementation of FRAX® in clinical practice. The Official
Positions resulting from the PDC are intended to enhance quality and clinical
utility of fracture risk assessment worldwide. Since the field of skeletal
assessment is new and evolving rapidly, some clinically important issues
addressed at the PDCs are not associated with robust medical evidence.
Accordingly, some Official Positions are based largely on expert opinion.
Despite limitations inherent in any process such as this, ISCD and IOF believe
it is important to provide clinicians and technologists with the best
distillation of current knowledge in the discipline of bone densitometry and
provide guidance to the scientific community on where further research is needed
to resolve areas of ambiguity and/or ongoing controversy.
Great News--DXA Relief is Finally Here! (3.21.10)
The evening of March 21, the United State Congress passed Health Care Reform legislation that included some relief from the Medicare cuts to DXA. The House passed HR 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Act which was already passed by the Senate in December. The bill is expected to be signed by President Obama shortly.
The DXA provision adopted by the House on March 21 requires Medicare to reimburse DXA and VFA during 2010 and 2011 at no less than 70% of the 2006 rates. This means that DXA will be reimbursed at approximately $98 and VFA at $27. These new rates will go into effect as soon as the President signs the bill and are retroactive to January 1, 2010. ISCD and our partners will begin immediately working to determine the mechanics of how CMS will handle the retroactive payments for DXAs performed in the first three months of this year. We will keep you posted with more details as they become available.
Many thanks to all of you who have helped in our efforts over the past few years; your hard work has paid off. We celebrate this success with you. ISCD will continue to ensure that quality osteoporosis testing remains an important preventive health care priority in Congress.
Visit our Advocacy Web site for further updates (www.ISCD.org/advocacy).
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