Implications of the accuracy of diagnostic algorithms for systemic lupus on our understanding of racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes

Objective Disparities in pregnancy outcomes among women with SLE remain understudied, with few available racially diverse datasets. We sought to identify disparities between Black and White women in pregnancy outcomes within academic institutions in the United States. Methods Using the Common Data Model electronic medical record (EMR)-based datasets within the Carolinas Collaborative, we identified women with pregnancy delivery data (2014-2019) and >= 1 SLE International Classification of Diseases 9 or 10 code (ICD9/10) code. From this dataset, we identified four cohorts of SLE pregnancies, three based on EMR-based algorithms and one confirmed with chart review. We compared the pregnancy outcomes identified in each of these cohorts for Black and White women. Results Of 172 pregnancies in women with >= 1 SLE ICD9/10 code, 49% had confirmed SLE. Adverse pregnancy outcomes occurred in 40% of pregnancies in women with >= 1 ICD9/10 SLE code and 52% of pregnancies with confirmed SLE. SLE was frequently over-diagnosed in women who were White, resulting in 40-75% lower rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes in EMR-derived vs confirmed SLE cohorts. Over-diagnosis was less common for Black women with pregnancy outcomes 12-20% lower in EMR-derived vs confirmed SLE cohorts. Black women had higher rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes than White women in the EMR-derived, but not the confirmed cohorts. Conclusion EMR-derived cohorts of pregnancies in women who are Black, but not White, provided accurate estimations of pregnancy outcomes. The data from the confirmed SLE pregnancies suggest that all women with SLE, regardless of race, referred to academic centres remain at very high risk for adverse pregnancy outcome.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate disparities in pregnancy outcomes between Black and White women with SLE. The study found that Black women had higher rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes in EMR-derived datasets, and SLE was frequently over-diagnosed in White women, resulting in lower rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes.