Osteoporosis
Options
e-Learning
Welcome to the Osteoporosis Options eLearning site.
These modules are designed to help you further develop your clinical skills, particuarly enhanced communication skills. The modules have been designed for health professionals caring for people with, or at risk of osteoporosis, with a particular focus on effective communication of the harms and benefits of medicines. However, the consultation skill modules are generic and as such will be relevant to any health professional consulting with patients.
Each module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Depending on your background, some modules may be more or less relevant for your role.
How to use this e-learning course
These modules are designed to enhance your clinical and communication skills. Some elements may already be familiar to you. This course contains a mix of text, videos, pictures and mini-quizzes. At the end of each module, we will ask you to complete brief evaluation form. When completed, a certificate of completion will be available to you.
The references to further information and scientific evidence which supports the eLearning are available in hyperlinks throughout and listed at the end of each module.
The modules are best available on a desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile. You may find it easier using the e-learning platform on a desktop or laptop device.
Throughout each module there are questions for you to answer – these are highlighted in yellow.
Core competencies for Fracture Liaison Services health professionals
Being able to explain osteoporosis and its treatment, are entry-level competencies of domains 1-3 of the Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) secondary fragility fracture prevention competency framework:
ffn_secondary-fragility-fracture-prevention_competency-framework_final-version_may-2025-2.pdf
As this training is for enhanced consultation skills, experienced practitioners can also benefit from the evidence-based techniques, which support collaborative and personalised patient involvement (proficient competencies). These techniques and skills may influence service design and be shared with colleagues to demonstrate competencies at the expert level.
Development team
The initial five modules (person centred care and shared decision-making, health literacy, risk communication, communicating about osteoporosis, using the Osteoporosis Options tool in FLS) were developed as part of the iFraP study by Professor Zoe Paskins (Professor of Rheumatology and Consultant Rheumatologist), Dr Laurna Bullock (Lecturer, background in Health Psychology), Prof Janet Lefroy (Professor in Medical Education), Prof Sarah Ryan (Professor of Rheumatology Nursing), Prof Jo Protheroe (Professor of General Practice) and Sarah Leyland (Osteoporosis Specialist Nurse at the Royal Osteoporosis Society).
Modules on review consultations and bone density scan communication have also been supported by Professor Andrew Sturrock, Dr Ashley Hawarden, Louise Statham, Jill Griffin, Dr Joanne Butterworth, Dr Fay Manning, Prof Karen Knapp.
The patient and clinician quotes used are based on stories from Keele’s Research User Group, the Royal Osteoporosis Society patient advocate group and from the qualitative research conducted by Keele’s Osteoporosis Research Group. We have changed people’s names.