Patient-provider discussions about functioning are often outside the scope of usual care for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and tools to facilitate such discussions are lacking. We assessed the comprehension, utility, and acceptability of a novel, individualized functioning report, the purpose of which is to facilitate patient-provider communication about functioning, in a predominantly Black SLE patient population.
Individualized reports (including sections with pictorial representations of participants' measured activities of daily living, falls, physical performance, perceived physical functioning, and community mobility from a previous pilot study visit) and surveys were emailed or mailed to 59 SLE patients. Ease of interpretation was dichotomized ("very easy" vs. all other responses). Utility and acceptability were assessed by items relating to usefulness for care planning and comfort with discussing the report.
Among 47 (79.7%) SLE patients who completed the survey (78.7% Black, 91.5% female, mean age=49.6), reported ease of interpretation ranged from 70.2% to 85.1% across the report sections. Ease of interpretation was lower among those who were older, Black, and female and who had lower cognitive scores (P>0.05 for all). Most reported that physical functioning domains of the report were useful for treatment or other care planning (70.2-80.5%) and that they felt comfortable discussing the report with a healthcare provider (93.2-100%).
We found that a novel functioning report for SLE patients was associated with high comprehension, utility, and acceptability. Future studies can help determine how an individualized functioning report could improve patient-provider communication in the clinic setting.