Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jul 4;22(1):232.
doi: 10.1186/s12912-023-01393-8.

Nurse-led interventions in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a systematic review

Robyn K Wojeck  1 , Kimberly Arcoleo  2 , Elizabeth C Hathaway  2 , Tamara J Somers  3
Affiliations

Nurse-led interventions in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a systematic review

Robyn K Wojeck et al. BMC Nurs. .

Abstract

Background: Nurses play an important role in the management of patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Little is known about the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions on patient-reported outcomes in this population. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence of nurse-led interventions in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, and Embase for studies published from database inception to September 2022. Studies were included if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal in English and evaluated the effectiveness of a nurse-led intervention using a randomized controlled trial design in adults with a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease. Screening, full-text review, and quality appraisal were conducted by two independent reviewers.

Results: A total of 162 articles were identified for possible inclusion, of which five studies were included. Four of five studies (80%) were conducted in systemic lupus erythematosus. There was significant variability in the types of nurse-led interventions; the majority included educational sessions and follow up counseling by a nurse (n = 4). The most common patient-reported outcomes were health-related quality of life (n = 3), fatigue (n = 3), mental health (including anxiety and depression) (n = 2), and self-efficacy (n = 2). The duration of the interventions varied from 12 weeks to 6 months. All studies included a nurse with specialized training and education and showed significant improvements in their primary outcomes. The majority of the studies (60%) were considered high methodological quality.

Conclusion: This systematic review provides emerging evidence for the use of nurse-led interventions in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Our findings emphasize the important role of nurses in providing nonpharmacological strategies to help patients better manage their disease and improve health outcomes.

Keywords: Nurse-led intervention; Patient-reported outcomes; Randomized controlled trials; Systematic review; Systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA Flow Diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Haag H, Liang T, Avina-Zubieta JA, De Vera MA. How do patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease perceive the use of their medications: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research. BMC Rheumatol. 2018;2:9. doi: 10.1186/s41927-018-0017-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mandl P, Tobudic S, Haslacher H, Karonitsch T, Mrak D, Nothnagl T, et al. Response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease depends on immunosuppressive regimen: a matched, prospective cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2022;81(7):1017–22. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-221788. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dollinger J, Neville C, Pineau CA, Vinet E, Hazel E, Lee JLF, et al. Challenges to optimal rheumatology care: a patient-centered focus group study. Clin Rheumatol. 2020;39(10):3083–90. doi: 10.1007/s10067-020-05091-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Greenfield J, Hudson M, Vinet E, Fortin PR, Bykerk V, Pineau CA, et al. A comparison of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) across four systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) PLoS ONE. 2017;12(12):e0189840. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189840. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Somers TJ, Kurakula PC, Criscione-Schreiber L, Keefe FJ, Clowse MEB. Self-efficacy and pain catastrophizing in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship to pain, stiffness, fatigue, and psychological distress. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2012;64(9):1334–40. doi: 10.1002/acr.21686. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources