2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for SLE score predicts future lupus hospital admission and costs

Objective: To test the ability of the 2019 EULAR/ACR Classification Criteria for SLE score to predict lupus related hospitalization and overall cost of hospitalization. Methods: 217 University of Kentucky patient records that met our preliminary inclusion criteria, 44 patients were selected by a random number generator algorithm for a thorough chart review to collect data needed for calculation of the 2019 EULAR/ACR Classification Criteria for SLE score. Total hospitalization cost was calculated by using hospital adjusted expenses per inpatient day data, which estimates the expense incurred by the hospital to provide services and thus removes the variability of charges and reimbursements introduced by insurance type. Results: Patients with a score of 19 or more had increased risk of hospitalization in at least the 6 months after initial outpatient visit as compared to their counterparts with scores less than 19 [p = .069]. The odds of being hospitalized for lupus among those with initial score >= 19 was 5.71 times higher than for those with score <19. Patients who scored 19 or less at initial visit had a mean hospitalization cost of $14,499, whereas those scored >19 had mean hospitalization cost of $28,725. Conclusion: This study adds to the growing evidence that 2019 EULAR/ACR Classification Criteria score for SLE can be used as a surrogate marker to assess disease severity. The weighted 2019 EULAR/ACR Classification Criteria for SLE score offers a promising tool beyond its primary objective to find true lupus cases for research and clinical trials.