Bone Abstracts

Background: Poor adherence to osteoporosis medicines is a major barrier to preventing fractures. The Fracture Liaison Service Database (FLS-DB) 2026 report indicates that only ~30% of patients remain on treatment after one year. People often stop because of concerns about side effects, uncertainty about benefits, and practical challenges in medicine administration. Accessible, trusted information and ongoing support may improve confidence and adherence. BoneMed Online is a free digital intervention from the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) to support patients starting or switching osteoporosis medicines.

Aim: To describe the development of BoneMed Online and report early findings on user reach and outcomes.

Methods: Launched in May 2025, BoneMed Online provides tailored information on each patients prescribed osteoporosis medicine, including benefits, administration guidance, and potential side effects. Users complete a short questionnaire capturing their medicine beliefs and concerns which assigns them to one of four personas reflecting different levels of perceived treatment necessity and concern. The service then delivers a medicine-specific summary and six follow-up emails based on their persona over 12 months to provide support and confidence between clinical appointments. The service design was informed by behavioural science frameworks, including the NecessityConcerns Framework and the Perceptions and Practicalities Approach (PAPA). Development involved collaboration between the ROS health information team, people living with osteoporosis, clinical experts, and academic partners at Keele University and Professor Rob Horne (University College London), with behavioural science input from Personia Health Ltd.

Results: By early 2026, ~6,500 UK patients had registered across all osteoporosis medicines. Early evaluation indicates strong engagement, with users frequently revisiting the information. In a four-month user survey, 79% of respondents reported increased confidence in taking their medication, 91% reported taking their medicine as prescribed, and 91% found the information was easy to understand.

Conclusion: BoneMed Online shows strong potential as a scalable digital tool to tackle adherence barriers and build patient confidence. Early results demonstrate good uptake and positive user-reported outcomes. Further evaluation will assess longer-term engagement and treatment persistence.