Use of Quality Measures to Identify Disparities in Health Care for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Assessment of quality of care for people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) provides opportunities to identify gaps in health care and address disparities. Poor access to specialty care has been shown to negatively impact care in SLE and is associated with poor disease outcomes. Racial/ethnic minorities and those with low socioeconomic status are at higher risk for poor access and lower quality of care. Quality measures evaluating processes of care have shown significant deficiencies in care of SLE patients across studies. High SLE patient volume correlates with better quality of care for providers in hospital and ambulatory settings.

Keywords: Access to care; Disparities; Health care; Quality measures; Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).