Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Assessment and personalised advice for fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus using an innovative digital tool: the Lupus Expert system for the Assessment of Fatigue (LEAF) study
Authors' conclusion
Fatigue is commonly severe in SLE, and associated with insomnia, pain, fibromyalgia and active disease according to patients' perspective. Our study shows the usefulness of an automated digital tool to manage fatigue in SLE.
Study context
- Population
- Participants with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using the LEAF digital tool, May–November 2022 (95.2% women, median age 43yo, IQR 34–51)
- Participants
- 1,250 participants
- Outcome
- Usefulness of an automated digital tool (LEAF) to manage fatigue in SLE
Methodological detailsdigital tool, completely automated, validated patient-reported instruments
- Digital tool
- Completely automated
- Validated patient-reported instruments
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Significant fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue <34)
78.9%
Found LEAF helpful
93.2%
Would recommend LEAF to another patient with SLE
92.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Fatigue vs no significant fatigue, univariate analysis
- More likely women
- P = 0.01
- Perceived disease as more active
- P < 0.0001
- Higher pain
- P < 0.0001
- Higher anxiety
- P < 0.0001
- Higher depression
- P < 0.0001
- Higher insomnia
- P < 0.0001
- Higher stress
- P < 0.0001
- More likely to screen for fibromyalgia
- P < 0.0001
- Univariate analysis
Parameters independently associated with fatigue, multivariable analysis
- Insomnia
- P = 0.0003
- Pain
- P = 0.002
- Fibromyalgia
- P = 0.008
- Self-reported active SLE
- P = 0.02
- Stress
- P = 0.045
- Multivariable analysis
Original publication
Assessment and personalised advice for fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus using an innovative digital tool: the Lupus Expert system for the Assessment of Fatigue (LEAF) study. RMD Open. Published 6 December 2023. doi:10.
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