Calcium compliance: The clinician's role

Clinician offices are the ideal location for patients to access reading material, videos and Web sites on bone health, effective prevention measures, treatments for osteoporosis and the importance of adequate calcium throughout the life cycle. For the clinician, the annual examination should be the time when evaluation and identification of patient risk factors for osteoporosis are done and the patient counseled on the need for adequate calcium, either through diet or supplement; vitamin D; and weight-bearing exercise. Women depend on their physicians for advice and counseling regarding both prescription and nonprescription interventions and therapies for bone health. The clinician's office should have a comprehensive sampling of educational materials that are of use to patients both for educating them about general preventive health practices as well as for giving them background information that will equip them to ask the physician health questions that directly pertain to them.