Participatory patient-physician communication and morbidity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between active patient-physician communication and measures of morbidity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Audiotapes of routine visits between 79 women with SLE and their rheumatologists were coded for active patient participation and the degree of patient-centered communication of the physician, using a validated coding scheme. Measures of SLE activity, functional disability, and permanent organ damage were recorded at the same visit. Permanent organ damage was reassessed in 68 patients after a median of 4.7 years. RESULTS: Patients who participated more actively in their visits had less permanent organ damage, as measured by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, and tended to accrue less organ damage over time. There were no associations between either active patient participation or physicians' patient-centered communication scores and measures of SLE activity or functional disability. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SLE who participated more actively in their visits had less permanent organ damage, suggesting that involving patients more in their care may decrease morbidity.

published proceedings

  • Arthritis Rheum

altmetric score

  • 1

author list (cited authors)

  • Ward, M. M., Sundaramurthy, S., Lotstein, D., Bush, T. M., Neuwelt, C. M., & Street, R. L.

citation count

  • 79

complete list of authors

  • Ward, Michael M||Sundaramurthy, Saigeetha||Lotstein, Debra||Bush, Thomas M||Neuwelt, C Michael||Street, Richard L

publication date

  • December 2003

publisher