Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Factors associated with delay in the diagnosis and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in adult patients: a systematic review
Authors' conclusion
The reported median delays in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE are 18 months and 2.09 months, respectively.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients with SLE; studies estimating delay in diagnosis and/or treatment (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, up to 15 July 2024)25 studies
- Comparison
- Men vs Women vs Early-onset SLE vs Late-onset SLE
- Outcome
- Factors associated with delay in diagnosing and treating SLE
Methodological detailsquantitative studies, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Checklist quality assessment
- Quantitative studies
- JBI Checklist quality assessment
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Median delay in diagnosis, months (IQR 0-32.3)
18
Median time to treatment from diagnosis, months (IQR 0.0-5.05)
2.09
Further pooled results
Median, months
| Outcome | Men | Women | Early-onset SLE | Late-onset SLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median delay in diagnosis by sex | 14.09 (IQR 0.0–18.5) | 29.55 (IQR 1.1–144.0) | — not stated in the abstract | — not stated in the abstract |
| Median delay by age at onset | — not stated in the abstract | — not stated in the abstract | 3.88 (IQR 1.5–9.1) | 10.10 (IQR 3.0–38.0) |
— not stated in the abstract
- Median delay in diagnosis by sex: n = 5 studies
- Median delay by age at onset: n = 3 studies
Average quality of the studies (JBI)
- Average quality score
- 6.4
Original publication
Factors associated with delay in the diagnosis and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in adult patients: a systematic review. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 11 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →