Background/Purpose: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune system of affected individuals attacks their own healthy tissues. While pharmaceutical therapies are an important part of disease management, many behavioral interventions have been implemented to increase patients’ disease self-management skills, provide social support, and encourage patients to take a more active role in their care. This study seeks to compare two studies providing support to SLE patients and their subsequent effect on patient activation.

Methods: Within these two studies three interventions are considered. A peer-to-peer methodology and patient support group were evaluated in the Peer Approaches to Lupus Self Management (PALS) and a patient navigator mediated program was evaluated in the Care-Coordination Approach to Lupus Self-Management (CALLS). Both studies were implemented for patients with SLE at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The outcomes of interest for this examination are the Patient Activation Measure and Lupus Self Efficacy Score. We used a Least Squares Means model to analyze change in the total Patient Activity Measure and Lupus Self Efficacy scores independently in each cohort. We adjusted for demographics such as age, education, income, employment, and insurance. Participants in this study were largely African American women with SLE. Participants in the peer-to-peer arm and support group arms (PALS) were entirely African American women and recruited at the MUSC. The patient navigator arm (CALLS) was not exclusively made up of African American women, but was disproportionately so. These subjects were identified due to recent hospitalizations at MUSC.

Results: Within the PALS study, the model that adjusted for demographic covariates described the data better but there was not a statistically significant difference between patient activation measures and lupus self-efficacy measures from baseline to post intervention measures. Within the CALLS study, the model that adjusted for demographic covariates described the data better but there was not a statistically significant difference between patient activation measures and lupus self-efficacy measures from baseline to post intervention measures. Comparing PALS to CALLS, the difference between baseline and postintervention measures seems to greater for the PALS study, thus warranting further investigation of the differing methodologies of the two studies.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that there is a difference between the two studies and their effects on patient activation and lupus self-efficacy.

Tailored interventions are a critical pathway towards improving disease self-management among SLE patients. Ideal interventions may look to include the peer mentoring approach.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/support-methodologies-for-african-american-women-with-lupus-comparing-two-studys-effects-on-patient-activation/