RESEARCH - Employment and disability issues in SLE

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Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Sep 29;59(10):1475-1479.

Employment and disability issues in systemic lupus erythematosus:

A review.Scofield L, Reinlib L, Alarcón GS, GS.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle

Park, North Carolina, and US Department of Health and Human Services

Office on Women's Health, Washington, DC.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize research pertaining to work disability in

lupus patients, discuss challenges patients face applying for federal

disability assistance in the US, and make recommendations for clinical

and health policy research.

METHODS: We searched Medline for articles on work or disability in

lupus patients and gathered information from the Social Security

Administration and the National Organization of Social Security

Claimants' Representatives.

RESULTS: We found 12 publications with employment-related data; 6

included analysis of predictors of work status. The prevalence of

inability to work or cessation of work was 15-51% in these studies

(3-15 years after diagnosis); 20-32% of patients received disability

benefits. Lower education level, higher disease activity, higher

disease damage, older age, and higher physical job strain were

independent predictors of work disability or work cessation in at

least 2 studies. Lupus patients may be less successful than patients

with other diseases when applying for federal disability assistance,

possibly because medical records may not accurately reflect functional

limitations. In addition, symptoms contributing to work disability

(e.g., fatigue, pain, neurocognitive dysfunction) may be difficult to

assess and quantify.

CONCLUSION: Work disability in lupus patients is common. Additional

research on risk factors for work disability in lupus patients and on

strategies for reducing the impact of these factors on work-related

activities is needed. The development of better measures and rating

scales for the symptoms responsible for work disability in lupus

patients and studies of factors influencing the success of obtaining

federal disability benefits would also be useful.

PMID: 18821664

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18821664

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