Patient-reported Satisfaction with Current Clinical Management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Kazakhstan

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, patient satisfaction has been increasingly recognized as a powerful tool to measure the quality of health-care services. AIM: This study evaluated the satisfaction of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with current clinical management in Semey, East Kazakhstan, and explored the factors associated with dissatisfaction. METHODS: All adult SLE patients registered at health-care facilities of Semey were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Out of 67 patients, 66 were females and their mean age was 39 years. Symptoms associated with the musculoskeletal system were the most commonly reported (95.5%), followed by fatigue (88.1%) and neurological symptoms (53.7%). None of the patients were very satisfied or satisfied with current clinical management and the overall rate of patient dissatisfaction was 83.6%. Education (p = 0.04), monthly income (p = 0.01), SLE disease activity index score (p = 0.031), therapy with biologic agents (p = 0.029), immunosuppressants (p = 0.01), and corticosteroids (p = 0.01) were predictors of patient dissatisfaction in multiple logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: This real-world study is the first effort to understand the experience of SLE patients within the health-care system of Kazakhstan and the results may facilitate doctor-patient discussions on the initiatives that need to be taken to improve the quality of the medical services provided.