In partnership with the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), NJAFP is pleased to offer an on-demand, CME-accredited webinar series, as well as a toolkit with downloadable resources for you and your patients. The education offered on this website is focused on increasing knowledge and understanding of lupus to improve early diagnosis, patient care, and coordination with specialists. Topics include:

• Symptoms and signs of lupus
• Lupus diagnosis
• Diagnostic criteria
• Treatment and disease management
• Communication skills
• Patient self-management tools and resources

Importance of Understanding Lupus

On average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed from the time they first notice their lupus symptoms. While lupus can be debilitating and potentially fatal, in many cases its health effects can be managed through aggressive medical treatment and lifestyle changes. Reducing the time to diagnosis helps people with lupus get the right treatment sooner and avoid serious symptoms and complications such as organ damage. 

Diagnosing lupus is like trying to solve a mystery because so many of its signs and symptoms can mirror those of other medical conditions. Primary care providers play a vital role in early diagnosis and through this CME-accredited webinar series, our goal is to reduce time to diagnosis and improve the overall quality of life of those living with lupus. 

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is an advocacy organization whose mission is devoted to putting an end to lupus, a chronic and potentially fatal autoimmune disease, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact More information about lupus can be found at lupus.org. 

This program is funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cooperative Agreement #NU58DP006907 in partnership with the Lupus Foundation of America. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.