Management of Adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Sle) in 2021: A Multi-Centre Audit within Wales as Part of an Ongoing Quality Improvement Exercise

ABSTRACT

Background/Aims Significant changes to working practices within rheumatology have occurred since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic virtual consultations have now become commonplace. This audit was undertaken as part of ongoing quality improvement work to assess the standards of care provided to patients with SLE attending rheumatology departments across Wales. Care was audited against the standards outlined in the 2018 British Society of Rheumatology guideline for the management of adults with SLE. Results were compared with the previous multi-centre audits of SLE care in Wales and the UK. We were interested to see whether changes to working practices had significantly affected the care of patients with SLE across Wales. Methods Rheumatology services in Wales were invited via email to participate. Data collection occurred between June and August 2021. Data was collected via online questionnaire, held securely by the Dudley Group NHSFT. Unit questionnaires were submitted by a lead clinician in each centre. Five centres across Wales submitted data from 62 clinical encounters with patients with SLE. Result(s) Conclusion Results of this multi-centre audit do not demonstrate any widespread significant changes in care for patients with SLE in Wales between 2019 and 2021, despite 48% of consultations audited being undertaken virtually. Blood pressure and urinalysis were not consistently measured in 2021, likely secondary to the increased prevalence of virtual consultations. Group education has been undertaken as to the importance of facilitating observations in the virtual environment and centres have shared their experiences of how they tackle this challenge locally. (Table Presented).