The Problem of Pain in Lupus: Epidemiological Profiles of Patients Attending Multidisciplinary Pain Clinics.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) bear a significant burden of pain. We aimed to identify factors that distinguish patients with SLE referred to comprehensive pain clinics and those who are not. Characterizing this patient population will identify unmet needs in SLE management and inform efforts to improve pain care in rheumatology. METHODS: Among patients with SLE with ≥2 rheumatology clinic visits in a large hospital system from 1998 to 2023 (n = 1319), we examined factors that distinguished those who had at least one visit to multidisciplinary pain clinics (n = 77, 5.8%) from those who did not have any visits (n = 1242, 94.2%) with a focus on biopsychosocial and socioeconomic characteristics. We extracted demographic data and ICD-9/ICD-10 codes from the EHR. RESULTS: Patients with SLE attending the pain clinics exhibited characteristics including average older age (mean age ± SD: 54.1 ± 17.9 vs. 48.4 ± 19.9), a higher likelihood of relying on public health insurance (50.7% vs. 34.2%), and a greater representation of Black patients (9.1% vs. 4.4%) compared to SLE patients not seen in pain clinics. Nearly all patients seen at the pain clinics presented with at least one chronic overlapping pain condition (96.1% vs. 58.6%), demonstrated a higher likelihood of having a mental health diagnosis (76.7% vs. 42.4%), and exhibited a greater number of comorbidities (mean ± SD: 6.0 ± 3.0 vs. 2.9 ± 2.6) compared to those not attending the pain clinic. CONCLUSION: We found notable sociodemographic and clinical differences between these patient populations. Patients presenting with multiple comorbidities might benefit from further pain screening and referral to pain clinics to provide comprehensive care, and earlier referral could mitigate the development and progression of multimorbidities.

Trends in Patient Representation in Low Back Pain Pharmacological Randomized Clinical Trials, 2011 to 2020: A Systematic Review.

Low back pain (LBP) significantly affects global health, with associated detrimental outcomes such as physical impairment, emotional distress, and exacerbated mental health symptoms. This study evaluated the representation of marginalized groups, including racialized, gender minority, pregnant/lactating, and elderly individuals in randomized controlled trials for pharmacological interventions treating LBP from 2011 to 2020. We searched Embase, MEDLINE, and CINAHL in December 2021, and 139 studies were eligible. Most trials (n = 113, 81%) reported participant sex; however, no study collected data on sexual and gender minorities, and the majority (n = 99, 71%) excluded pregnant/lactating individuals. Most trials (n = 105, 76%) reported no data on participant race or ethnicity. We limited within-country analyses of race and ethnicity to US-based trials because US-based trials were more likely to report race and/or ethnicity (48%) compared to non-US-based trials (8%). Black participants were the only racialized group whose composition was comparable to US Census estimates. About half (n = 73, 53%) of all trials had an upper age limit for eligibility (range: 40-85 years old) and 24% (n = 33) excluded adults aged >65 years. Our findings confirm that trials for pharmacological LBP interventions underreport demographic data, and the trials that include this data have unrepresentative samples. There is an urgent need for more inclusive and representative patient samples to ensure generalizability and equitable benefits. Standardizing demographic data reporting and integrating community-based participatory research methods can help foster inclusive research practices. This review was registered with prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO), ID 296017. PERSPECTIVE: This systematic review investigates patient representation in pharmacological-based clinical trials for low back pain, LBP, the most prevalent pain condition worldwide. Improvements in reporting demographic data and recruiting diverse participant populations-across different racialized, gender and sexual minority, and age groups-will help clinical research generalizability and provide equitable benefits.