The International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) has announced that Dr. Steven Berlin, MD, has recently attended the ISCD's Bone Densitometry Course and has been recognized as a Certified Clinical Densitometrist (CCD). He has taken the ISCD Bone Densitometry Course and passed a rigorous exam on bone density testing for osteoporosis. There are over 5,000 certified clinicians and technologist worldwide. Certification in bone densitometry is a demonstration of proficiency and is a requirement for some insurance companies and HMOs.
ISCD is a nonprofit professional society of over 4,000 clinician and technologist members from more than 40 countries. ISCD is dedicated to improving the quality of bone density testing for osteoporosis, educating healthcare providers, increasing patient awareness, and supporting scientific advances. The proliferation of new technologies for measuring bone density, combined with the development of improved treatments for osteoporosis, has created great demand for the education and certification of healtcare providers.
Osteoporosis, a bone fragility disorder that can lead to fracture, is a disease that affects 44 million Americans, causing 1.5 million fractures each year, with an annual healthcare cost of about $17 billion,. Osteoporotic fractures can result in chronic pain, disability , loss of independence, and even death. Early detection of low bone density before fractures occur is the key to successful management. Bone density is easily measured with an instrument called a bone densitometer, using DXA(Dual X-ray Absorptiometry) technology. With medications now available and under development, experts feel that osteoporosis is a preventable and treatable disease-not an inevitable part of aging.