Valentin Ritschl, Section for Outcomes Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis and Rehabilitation, Vienna, Austria
Ricardo J O Ferreira, Rheumatology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal; Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), Coimbra, Portugal
Eduardo José Ferreira Santos, Rheumatology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal; Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), Coimbra, Portugal
Rúben Fernandes, Rheumatology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal
Essi Juutila, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland
Erika Mosor, Section for Outcomes Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Paulo Santos-Costa, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), Coimbra, Portugal
Kim Fligelstone, Federation of European Scleroderma Associations, London, UK
Linda Schraven, Federation of European Scleroderma Associations, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Georg Stummvoll, Klinikum Malcherhof Baden, Baden, Austria
Maria Salvador, Rheumatology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal
Janet L. Poole, Occupational Therapy Graduate Program, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Cornelia van den Ende, Department of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Carina Boström, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Tanja A. Stamm, Section for Outcomes Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis and Rehabilitation, Vienna, Austria

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2021

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Non-pharmacological interventions support patients with connective tissue diseases to better cope with and self-manage their diseases. This study aimed to map existing evidence on non-pharmacological interventions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc) and mixed connective tissue diseases regarding content, feasibility and potential suitability in an e-health setting.

METHODS: A literature search was performed in eight different databases in July 2020. The intervention's content was extracted using the 'Better reporting of interventions: template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist and guide'. A Sankey diagram and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data and illustrate the relationships between the interventions.

RESULTS: Of 8198 identified records, 119 papers were eligible. One hundred and four of them (87.4%) were conducted between 2000 and 2020, mainly in the USA (SLE n=24 (21.2%), SSc n=16 (14.2%)), Brazil (SLE n=8 (7.1%), SSc n=5 (4.4%)) and Italy (SLE n=0 (0%), SSc n=12 (10.6%)). Fifty-two studies (SLE n=24 (21.2%), SSc n=28 (24.8%)) used multicomponent interventions. The single interventions were physical exercises (SLE n=16 (14.2%), SSc n=17 (15.0%)), coaching/counselling (SLE n=11 (18.0%), SSc n=0 (0%)) and education (SLE n=2 (1.8%), SSc n=3 (2.7%)). Primary outcomes focused on physical function (SLE n=1 (0.9%), SSc n=15 (13.3%)), mouth opening in SSc (n=4 (5.9%)) and physical capacity (SLE n=2 (1.8%), SSc n=1 (0.9%)). No interventions for mixed connective tissue disease were found.

CONCLUSION: There was a great variety in the intervention's content due to differences in body structure, activity limitations and participation restrictions in SLE and SSc. These results highlight the need for personalised, multicomponent, non-pharmacological interventions, which could be delivered as e-health interventions.

Publication Title

RMD Open

ISSN

2056-5933

Volume

7

Issue

2

DOI

10.1136/rmdopen-2021-001710

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