Meeting information needs: lessons learned from New Jersey's Individual Health Insurance Reform Program

Women's knowledge of new regulations about publicly funded medications for osteoporosis

To provide adequate and updated information regarding changes in health care regulations or policies can be a challenging task for policy makers. The aim of the present study was to examine knowledge about new regulations regarding publicly funded drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis in a group of 109 Israeli women. Participants were interviewed between 3 and 6 months after the new regulations were enacted. Although participants were aware of their eligibility, moderate levels of knowledge were found regarding the content of the regulations. Especially low levels of knowledge were found regarding the scope of services and the definition of osteoporosis according to the regulations. High-risk participants (i.e. older participants and those with lower T score or who had suffered a fracture) had no better knowledge of the regulations. The development of multifaceted information programs aimed at disseminating the content of policy changes is encouraged.