Effects of transitional care on self-care, readmission rates, and quality of life in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Lack of adequate self-care, frequent admissions, and poor quality of life are common and serious problems in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Some studies have revealed that transitional care is effective in improving self-care and quality of life as well as reducing rehospitalization rates. However, limited studies explored its effects in adult patients with SLE. Therefore, we performed a study to examine the effects of transitional care on self-care, readmission rates, and quality of life in adult patients with SLE. METHODS: This study was a single-center, single-blind, and parallel-group randomized controlled trial comparing transitional care with usual care in SLE patients from a university hospital in China. Evaluations were conducted at baseline before discharge and at 3 months after discharge by using hospital readmission rate, the Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Health Survey for self-care and quality of life. Data were collected between June and December 2016. RESULTS: Compared with the usual care group, the transitional care group reported significantly greater improvement in self-care and quality of life. Additionally, the 30-day readmission rate for the patients in the transitional care group was significantly lower than in the usual care group, and this effect remained significant at 60 and 90 days after patient discharge. CONCLUSION: This study shows that transitional care improves self-care and quality of life in adult patients with SLE and reduces readmissions. However, further studies are needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: China clinical trial registry, ChiCTR-IPR-16007708. Registered January 5, 2016. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13075-018-1670-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.