Activity Overview

Frontline providers need targeted education on the initial presentation, manifestations, and demographics of lupus to identify, diagnose, and refer patients with suspected lupus more effectively. The seven activities in this series can increase your awareness, knowledge, and self-efficacy regarding the diagnosis, referral, treatment, and possible co-management of a lupus patient.

This activity is part of a series. See the other activities in the series below.

Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series: All Activities
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 1: Lupus Introduction
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 2: Laboratory Testing in Lupus
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 3: Medications in Lupus
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 4: Lupus Flares
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 5: Lupus Nephritis
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 6: Pregnancy and Lupus
Lupus Virtual Provider Education Series Activity 7: Health Maintenance and Preventive Care Considerations in Lupus

Registration is complimentary.

Target Audience

Primary Care Providers, Physician Assistants, Advanced Practice Nurses

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Activity 1: Lupus Introduction

• Identify the demographics of lupus and highest-risk populations for lupus complications​
• Identify classic and atypical presentations of SLE​
• Discuss the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with symptoms that may suggest SLE​
• Identify high-yield lupus-specific symptoms

Activity 2: Laboratory Testing in Lupus

• Recognize the autoimmune serologic associations of SLE​
• Identify when to order lab tests to evaluate SLE

Activity 3: Medications in Lupus

• Identify the different categories of drugs used in managing lupus​
• Recognize the different components of the EULAR 2023 Guidelines and its application in lupus management ​
• Determine the severity of lupus disease activity and how this influences treatment protocols ​
• Recognize the importance of hydroxychloroquine in the lupus management armamentarium 
• Identify medications are used for different clinical manifestations of lupus, using different case study scenarios
• Identify that non-pharmacological interventions are important along with medications for lupus management

Activity 4: Lupus Flares

• Recognize symptoms and signs that may indicate a lupus flare​
• Identify high acuity signs and symptoms that may warrant hospital admission

Activity 5: Lupus Nephritis

• Describe the epidemiology of lupus nephritis ​
• Recognize how to diagnose lupus nephritis​
• Discuss the pathology in lupus nephritis​
• Recognize when to refer to nephrology​
• Describe treatment paradigms for lupus nephritis

Activity 6: Pregnancy and Lupus

• Identify important considerations for fertility and family planning in patients with lupus including medications and lupus activity​
• Discuss the implication of antiphospholipid antibodies in pregnancy​
• Discuss the role of SSA/SSB antibodies in pregnancy and neonatal lupus

Activity 7: Health Maintenance and Preventive Care Considerations in Lupus

• Identify the risk factors for premature coronary artery disease in lupus patients and risk modification strategies​
• Recognize osteoporosis risk factors and various treatment considerations in women of childbearing age​
• Identify appropriate immunization schedules for lupus patients and understand contraindications to immunization among patients on immunosuppressive medications

CME & MOC Information

ACCME Accreditation Statement

The American College of Rheumatology is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

See the ACR's CME Mission Statement. For more information, download the AMA PRA Booklet.

AMA Designation Statement

The American College of Rheumatology designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 7.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CME credit must be claimed by March 30, 2028, at 11:59 PM ET.

MOC

MOC Recognition Statement: American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 7.00 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

By completing this activity, you provide the ACR permission to share completion data with the ACCME and the certifying board. 

After submitting a reflective statement with key takeaways from the activity, MOC points will be applied for ABIM diplomates to the ABIM diplomate number and date of birth provided when you registered. Points are sent nightly to ACCME and then transferred to the ABIM Physician Portal. Please allow at least 48 hours for points to display in the portal.

MOC points must be claimed by March 30, 2028, at 11:59 PM ET.

Financial Relationship Disclosures

ACR Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to ensure that Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities are independent and free of commercial bias. To ensure educational content is objective, balanced, and guarantee content presented is in the best interest of its learners and the public, the ACR requires that everyone in a position to control educational content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Examples can be found at accme.org.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, ACR has implemented mechanisms prior to the planning and implementation of this CME activity to identify and mitigate all relevant financial relationships for all individuals in a position to control the content of this CME activity

Nature of Financial Relationships

All individuals that participate in an ACR-sponsored activity and are able to change content or influence the content of the activity must disclose to the planning committee and audience all financial or other relationships with ineligible companies including, but not limited to:

1. Advisor or review panel member
2. Consultant
3. Employee
4. Officer or Board Member
5. Grant/research support
6. Speaker/honoraria includes speaker’s bureau, symposia, and expert witness
7. Independent contractor
8. Executive role and/or ownership interest
9. Royalties and/or patent beneficiary
10. Intellectual property/patents
11. Stock options or bond holdings in a for-profit corporation or self-directed pension plan
12. Private investigator
13. Expert witness
14. Equity interest
15. Other: specify details

None: Has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

All participants that created and/or were able to influence the content and delivery of this activity reported the following disclosures. All of the relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.

Tanmayee Bichile, MD (Planner) – GSK¹
Parastoo Fazeli, MD (Planner) – Amgen⁶, AstraZeneca¹, Janssen¹, Novartis¹
Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS, RhMSUS (Planner) – GoodRx², Musculo²
Schartess Culpepper Pace, MD (Planner) – None
Nina Ramessar, MBBS (Planner) – GSK⁶, AstraZeneca⁶, AbbVie²
Supraja Yeturi, MBBS (Planner) – None
Kimberly DeQuattro, MD, MM (Reviewer) – None
Elizabeth Frame, MD (Reviewer) – None
Lauren Smith, MD (Reviewer) – BMS Foundation⁵

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support

This activity is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award of $7 million with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The activity content was provided by the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, the CDC/HHS or U.S. Government.

Educational Policies

See ACR educational activity policies, including the online enduring activity refund policy.