Quality indicators for systemic lupus erythematosus based on the 2019 EULAR recommendations: development and initial validation in a cohort of 220 patients

Development of quality indicators for pregnancy and childbirth in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVES

A quality indicator (QI) for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy and childbirth that is useful for sharing standard treatment policies has not yet been developed. This study aimed to develop a QI for SLE associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

METHODS

To identify candidate QIs, we conducted a systematic literature review on the development of QIs for SLE related to pregnancy and childbirth and on clinical practice guidelines. Candidate QI items were extracted from the final selected articles, and a first evaluation, panel meeting, and second evaluation were conducted to determine whether the candidate items were appropriate as QIs. Items for which all panel members reached a consensus were designated pregnancy and childbirth-related SLE QIs.

RESULTS

Four articles on SLE QI development and 28 practice guidelines were listed through abstract/text screening. Based on these studies, 52 candidate QIs were extracted that were limited to items related to pregnancy and childbirth and 41 items were selected on which all panel members agreed.

CONCLUSION

We developed pregnancy-related SLE QIs using the RAND/UCLA method and selected 41 items, which could be used clinically.

Challenges and opportunities in access to care for systemic lupus erythematosus patients across Europe and worldwide

SLE presents significant challenges for patients and health-care professionals (HCPs), both across Europe and worldwide. Improving health-care outcomes for patients with SLE requires a comprehensive understanding of patient disease pathways. In particular, the geographical distance between SLE patients and specialized care centres, combined with the scarcity of rheumatologists, exacerbates delays in diagnosis and management. Also, the initial SLE symptoms can often be non-specific, and providing guidelines for primary HCPs and other non-specialists is extremely important. Improvement in access to treatment is also important, with several recently approved therapies for SLE not being available in several European countries and many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Furthermore, in the LMICs in which these treatments are available, they are not always covered by the health-care system, making their access almost impossible for those of lower socio-economic status. A number of provisions are already in place within the European Union, to improve access to care for patients with rare and complex diseases, including those with SLE. In particular, European Reference Networks (ERNs), such the ERN for Autoimmune Diseases ReCONNET, are virtual networks involving HCPs across Europe with the aim of improving the care of patients with rare and complex diseases that require highly specialized treatment and a concentration of knowledge and resources. In addition, lupus patient organizations such as Lupus Europe play a crucial role in raising awareness of SLE and advocating for improved access to care. Together, we can work towards a future where all people living with lupus receive the comprehensive and timely care they deserve.

Receipt of rheumatology care and lupus-specific labs among young adults with systemic lupus erythematosus: A US Medicare retention in care cohort study

OBJECTIVE

In systemic lupus erythematosus, poor disease outcomes occur in young adults, patients identifying as Black or Hispanic, and socioeconomically disadvantaged patients. These identities and social factors differentially shape care access and quality that contribute to lupus health disparities in the US. Thus, our objective was to measure markers of care access and quality, including rheumatology visits (longitudinal care retention) and lupus-specific serology testing, by race and ethnicity, neighborhood disadvantage, and geographic context.

METHODS

This cohort study used a geo-linked 20% national sample of young adult Medicare beneficiaries (ages 18-35) with lupus-coded encounters and a 1-year assessment period. Retention in lupus care required a rheumatology visit in each 6-month period, and serology testing required ≥1 complement or dsDNA antibody test within the year. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit for visit-based retention and serology testing to determine associations with race and ethnicity, neighborhood disadvantage, and geography.

RESULTS

Among 1,036 young adults with lupus, 39% saw a rheumatologist every 6 months and 28% had serology testing. White beneficiaries from the least disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods had higher visit-based retention than other beneficiaries (64% vs 30%-60%). Serology testing decreased with increasing neighborhood disadvantage quintile (aOR 0.80; 95% CI 0.71, 0.90) and in the Midwest (aOR 0.46; 0.30, 0.71).

CONCLUSION

Disparities in care, measured by rheumatology visits and serology testing, exist by neighborhood disadvantage, race and ethnicity, and region among young adults with lupus, despite uniform Medicare coverage. Findings support evaluating lupus care quality measures and their impact on US lupus outcomes.

Quality indicators and satisfaction with care in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Grading the quality of care in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and determining its relationship with care satisfaction may recognize gaps that could lead to better clinical practice. Eighteen quality indicators (QIs) were recently developed and validated for patients with SLE based on the 2019 EULAR management recommendations. Few studies have analyzed the relationship between quality of care and care satisfaction in patients with lupus. This was a cross-sectional study. We included patients at least 18 years old who met the EULAR/ACR 2019 classification criteria for SLE. We interviewed patients and retrieved data from medical records to assess their compliance with a set of 18 EULAR-based QIs. We calculated each QI fulfillment as the proportion of fulfilled QI divided by the number of eligible patients for each indicator. Care satisfaction was evaluated with the satisfaction domain of LupusPRO version 1.7. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between quality of care and care satisfaction. Seventy patients with a median age of 33 (IQR 23-48) were included, 90% were women. Overall adherence was 62.29%. The median care satisfaction was 100. Global adherence to the 18-QIs and the care satisfaction score revealed no correlation (r = 0.064, p = 0.599). Higher QI fulfillment was found in the group with remission versus the moderate-high activity group (p = 0.008). In our study, SLE patients in remission had higher fulfillment of quality indicators. We found no correlation between the quality of care and satisfaction with care.

Advances in the pharmacological management of systemic lupus erythematosus

INTRODUCTION

Despite setbacks in clinical trials for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), three drugs have been approved for SLE and lupus nephritis (LN) treatment in the past decade. Several ongoing clinical trials, some viewed optimistically by the scientific community, underscore the evolving landscape. Emerging clinical data have established specific therapeutic targets in routine clinical practice for treating SLE, aiming to improve long-term outcomes.

AREAS COVERED

Research related to treatment of SLE and LN is discussed, focusing on randomized clinical trials during the last 5 years and recommendations for the management of SLE published by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR), American College of Rheumatology (ACR), Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR), and Pan-American League of Associations of Rheumatology (PANLAR).

EXPERT OPINION

The landscape of SLE and LN treatments is evolving, as new drugs and combination treatment approaches redefine the traditional concepts of induction and maintenance treatment phases. As the therapeutic armamentarium in SLE continues to expand, the research focus is shifting from the imperative for new therapies to advancing our understanding of optimal treatment selection for individual patients, steering toward precision medicine strategies.

EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus: 2023 update

OBJECTIVES

To update the EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on emerging new evidence.

METHODS

An international Task Force formed the questions for the systematic literature reviews (January 2018-December 2022), followed by formulation and finalisation of the statements after a series of meetings. A predefined voting process was applied to each overarching principle and recommendation. Levels of evidence and strengths of recommendation were assigned, and participants finally provided their level of agreement with each item.

RESULTS

The Task Force agreed on 5 overarching principles and 13 recommendations, concerning the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), glucocorticoids (GC), immunosuppressive drugs (ISDs) (including methotrexate, mycophenolate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide (CYC)), calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, voclosporin) and biologics (belimumab, anifrolumab, rituximab). Advice is also provided on treatment strategies and targets of therapy, assessment of response, combination and sequential therapies, and tapering of therapy. HCQ is recommended for all patients with lupus at a target dose 5 mg/kg real body weight/day, considering the individual's risk for flares and retinal toxicity. GC are used as 'bridging therapy' during periods of disease activity; for maintenance treatment, they should be minimised to equal or less than 5 mg/day (prednisone equivalent) and, when possible, withdrawn. Prompt initiation of ISDs (methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate) and/or biological agents (anifrolumab, belimumab) should be considered to control the disease and facilitate GC tapering/discontinuation. CYC and rituximab should be considered in organ-threatening and refractory disease, respectively. For active lupus nephritis, GC, mycophenolate or low-dose intravenous CYC are recommended as anchor drugs, and add-on therapy with belimumab or CNIs (voclosporin or tacrolimus) should be considered. Updated specific recommendations are also provided for cutaneous, neuropsychiatric and haematological disease, SLE-associated antiphospholipid syndrome, kidney protection, as well as preventative measures for infections, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSION

The updated recommendations provide consensus guidance on the management of SLE, combining evidence and expert opinion.

[Assessment tools for systemic lupus erythematosus]

A systematic assessment is critical for taking advantage of the current options for optimizing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) management. Without regular SLE activity measurements, treat to target and remission are empty words, and the EULAR recommendations therefore insist on these assessments. They rely on activity scores, such as SLEDAI, ECLAM and BILAG or more recently, EasyBILAG and SLE-DAS. Assessment is completed by organ-specific measurement methods and the evaluation of damage. In the study setting the classification criteria and combined endpoints for clinical testing are crucial, as is measurement of the quality of life. This review article provides an overview of the current state of SLE assessments.

Does higher quality of care in systemic lupus erythematosus translate to better patient outcomes?

PURPOSE

To assess if high quality of care (QOC) in SLE results in improved outcomes of quality of life (QOL) and non-routine health care utilization (HCU).

METHODS

One hundred and forty consecutive SLE patients were recruited from the Rheumatology clinic at an academic center. Data on QOC and QOL were collected along with demographics, socio-economic, and disease characteristics at baseline. LupusPRO assessing health-related (HR) QOL and non (N)HRQOL was utilized. Follow up QOL and HCU were collected prospectively at 6 months. High QOC was defined as those meeting ≥80% of the eligible quality indicators. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed with QOC and high QOC as independent variables and HRQOL and NHRQOL as dependent variables at baseline and follow up. Multivariable models were adjusted for demographics and disease characteristics. Secondary outcomes included non-routine HCU and disease activity at follow up.

RESULTS

Baseline and follow up data on 140 and 94 patients, respectively, were analyzed. Mean (SD) performance rate (QOC) was 78.6 (13.4) with 52% patients in the high QOC group. QOC was associated with better NHRQOL at baseline and follow up but not with HRQOL. Of all the NHRQOL domains, QOC was positively associated with treatment satisfaction. QOC or high QOC were not associated with non-routine HCU and were instead associated with higher disease activity at follow up.

CONCLUSION

Higher QOC predicted better NHRQOL by directly impacting treatment satisfaction in SLE patients in this cohort. Higher QOC, however, was not associated with HRQOL, HCU, or improvement in disease activity at follow up.

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases collection on lupus nephritis (2019-2022): novel insights and advances in therapy

No single organ has received as much attention in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as the kidneys. During the period 2019-2022, the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases published several original papers, brief reports and letters that further elucidate the pathogenesis and advance the management of LN. A selection of representative original papers is highlighted in this review.

Impact of adherence to EULAR quality indicators on the quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

Quality indicators (QIs) for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) management based on the 2019 update of European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations have been recently proposed. We aimed to determine whether adherence to QIs was associated with patient reported outcome (PRO).

METHODS

Adherence to a set of 18 EULAR-based QIs and correlation with PRO assessed by Lupus Impact Tracker (LIT) was tested in a cohort of 162 SLE patients.

RESULTS

On average, SLE patients received 41% (33; 52.5) of recommended care. Higher adherence to monitoring-related QIs was associated with an older age, a shorter SLE disease duration and a more severe disease (i.e. Class III/IV/V nephritis). LIT demonstrated that the average impact of lupus on patients' life was of 30% (12.5;47.5). In multivariable analysis, patients of female gender (OR 0.25, 95% 0.05-0.94; p = 0.05), with lupus CNS (OR 0.33, 95%CI 0.08-1.05; p = 0.08) and skin involvements (OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.23-1.04; p = 0.07) had higher odds of experiencing a negative impact of the lupus on their life. No association were found between adherences to QIs by physicians and reported quality of life in lupus patients.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms a variable degree of clinicians' adherence to QIs for SLE and shows no clear association between QIs adherence and patient reported outcome. Adherence to QIs by physicians are not enough to impact the quality of life of patients.

Implementation of recommendations in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: considerations for development and uptake

A clinical guideline is a document with the aim of guiding decisions based on evidence regarding diagnosis, management and treatment in specific areas of healthcare. Specific to rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), adherence to clinical guidelines recommendations impacts the outcomes of people with these diseases. However, currently, the implementation of recommendations is less than optimal in rheumatology.The WHO has described the implementation of evidence-based recommendations as one of the greatest challenges facing the global health community and has identified the importance of scaling up these recommendations. But closing the evidence-to-practice gap is often complex, time-consuming and difficult. In this context, the implementation science offers a framework to overcome this scenario.This article describes the principles of implementation science to facilitate and optimise the implementation of clinical recommendations in RMDs. Embedding implementation science methods and techniques into recommendation development and daily practice can help maximise the likelihood that implementation is successful in improving the quality of healthcare and healthcare services.

Residual disease activity and treatment intensification in systemic lupus erythematosus: A cross-sectional study to quantify the need for new therapies

OBJECTIVE

The proportion of SLE patients with residual disease activity in routine settings is variable. We assessed disease activity state in patients during their most recent visit, and whether patients with residual activity were offered therapy intensification.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of consecutive lupus patients in three tertiary centers. Patients were categorized as: i) remission off-therapy, ii) remission on-therapy, iii) low disease activity, and iv) non-optimally controlled disease. Multivariable regression identified factors associated with treatment intensification and ROC analysis calculated the accuracy of SLEDAI-2K to predict this intensification.

RESULTS

Three hundred and thirty-two patients were included [93.1% female, mean (SD) age 48.5 (14.7) years, median (IQR) disease duration 6.5 (12.4) years]. Mean (SD) total and clinical SLEDAI at last visit were 3.7 (3.0) and 3.0 (2.9), respectively. Although 23.2% of patients were in remission, 40.1% were categorized as non-optimally controlled disease (79.2% due to SLEDAI-2K > 4), but less than 50% of them were offered therapy intensification. Proteinuria (OR 6.78, 95% CI 2.06-22.25), arthritis (OR 5.48, 95% CI 3.20-9.40), and rash (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.81-5.75) were associated with intensification of therapy, but the accuracy of either total or clinical SLEDAI to predict it was moderate (ROC area under the curve 0.761 and 0.779, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

About 40% of patients have evidence of residual disease activity and could qualify for novel treatments. Most treatment changes were triggered by active renal, joint, and skin disease, whereas the predictive value of SLEDAI-2K as a metric of disease activity was modest.

Tailored treatment strategies and future directions in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for physicians due to its protean manifestations and unpredictable course. The disease may manifest as multisystemic or organ-dominant and severity at presentation may vary according to age at onset (childhood-, adult- or late-onset SLE). Different manifestations may respond variably to different immunosuppressive medications and, even within the same organ-system, the severity of inflammation may vary from mild to organ-threatening. Current "state-of-the-art" in SLE treatment aims at remission or low disease activity in all organ systems. Apart from hydroxychloroquine and glucocorticoids (which should be used with caution), the choice of the appropriate immunosuppressive agent should be individualized and depend on the prevailing manifestation, severity stratification and patient childbearing potential. In this review, we provide an overview of therapeutic options for the various organ manifestations and severity patterns of the disease, different phenotypes (such as multisystem versus organ-dominant disease), as well as specific considerations, including lupus with antiphospholipid antibodies, childhood and late-onset disease, as well as treatment options during pregnancy and lactation.