Table 2 Intervention Characteristics and Study Findings

Kankaya & Karadakovan

Nurse researcher who specialized in the field

Dependent on the counseling needed as determined by the participant

Web-based education followed by individual nurse consultancy

3 months of web-based education on self-management of SLE, followed by 6 months of individual nurse consultancy.

Usual care

6 mo.

6 mo.

Outpatient

Self-efficacy (SEMCD)

Fatigue (FSS)

Assessment/Satisfaction of care (PACIC)

Disease activity (SLEDAI-2000)

Significant improvements in self-efficacy, fatigue, and assessment of chronic illness care in the intervention group

Karlson et al.

Masters-level nurse with 20 years of clinical experience, was trained in proven efficacy-enhancing counseling techniques

N = 7

(1 in person, 6 counseling telephone sessions)

Educational session followed by counseling telephone calls

Intervention designed to enhance self-efficacy, couple’s communication about lupus, social support, and problem solving, in the form of a 1-hour session with a nurse educator followed by monthly telephone counseling for 6 months with the dyads.

Attention placebo (45 min. video and monthly telephone calls)

6 mo.

12 mo.

Outpatient

General health status (SF-36)

•Global physical function

•Global mental health status

SLE disease activity (SLAQ)

Fatigue (SF-36 vitality subscale, SLAQ)

Self-efficacy (self-efficacy-other scale)

Social support (modified social support scale)

Problem solving (11-item coping measure)

Satisfaction with medical care (MISS)

Compliance (4-item adherence measure)

Significant improvements in couples’ communication, problem-focused coping, social support, self-efficacy, fatigue, and global mental and physical health status

Uras et al.

Research nurse who was an expert in adult education

N = 4

(during hospital admission, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months)

Daily oral exercise with nurse support

Educational materials provided initially followed by face-to-face interventions with a nurse to teach oral exercises which patients were expected to perform daily and record on a diary card.

Usual care

12 mo.

3, 6, 9, & 12 mo.

Inpatient

Mouth opening (measured in centimeters using calipers)

Mouth disability (MHISS)

Health status (SYSQ)

QOL (Skindex-17)

Anxiety & depression (GHQ-12)

Statistically significant increase in mouth opening compared to control group (using per-protocol analysis)

Wu et al.

Doctorally prepared nurse (PhD) with expertise in physical activity counselling for patients with SLE, and had been trained in counselling techniques

N = 6

(3 in-person, 3 phone calls)

Educational sessions with counseling telephone calls

Exercise counselling program and wore a pedometer on the waist for 1 week as the baseline and for 12 weeks following the baseline. Received face-to-face counseling at weeks 1, 4, and 8, as well as follow up phone calls to address barriers and see how daily goals were being met.

Given pedometer and instructions to wear for 12 weeks after 1 week baseline. Received usual care and phone calls with medication or lab information only.

13 wks.

8 & 12 wks.

Outpatient

Physical activity (Agoss Health Pedometer)

Disease activity (SLEDAI-2000)

HRQOL (SF-36)

Fatigue (FSS)

Sleep quality (PSQI)

Significant improvements in

daily steps, quality of sleep, vitality, and mental health

Xie et al.

2 nurses with master’s degree and experience with SLE. Both trained in transitional care and Omaha system knowledge/skills

N = 8

(4 structured assessments and 4 telephone follow-ups)

Transitional care program following admission to hospital

In-person contact 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after hospital discharge to identify problems and introduce interventions. Telephone follow-up at 2, 3, 6, and 10 weeks after discharge to counsel patients regarding concerns about disease barriers.

Usual care

12 wks.

90 days from discharge

Outpatient once discharged from the hospital

Disease activity (SLEDAI-2000)

Self-care (ESCA)

QOL (SF-36)

30-day hospital readmission rate

Significant improvements in self-care and QOL. The 30-day readmission rate for patients in the intervention group were significantly lower than usual care group.