Patient and physician perspectives of systemic lupus erythematosus flare: A qualitative study.

Patients and physicians described flare differently. Participants with SLE perceive flares as several days of fatigue, pain, and features. Providers define flares as periods of increased clinical SLE activity. Our findings suggest the current definition of flare may be insufficient to integrate both perceptions. Further study is needed to understand the pathophysiology of patient flares and the best way to incorporate patients' perspectives into clinical assessments.