Better communication and medication support for people with lupus
Official title: CO-LEADER: Intervention to Improve Patient-Provider Communication and Medication Adherence among Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11310777 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project trains clinicians and uses pharmacy refill records plus patient-reported barriers to help Black people with lupus take their medicines more reliably.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $720,560 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018977-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310777 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with systemic lupus erythematosus, especially Black patients who have missed refills or report difficulty taking prescribed lupus medications, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without regular care at participating clinics, those not taking long-term lupus medications, or those whose challenges are unrelated to clinician communication may not benefit.
What this research studies
You would meet with clinicians who have been trained to communicate in ways that better address the concerns of Black patients with lupus. Clinicians will use pharmacy refill data together with what you tell them about barriers to taking medicines to guide conversations and create a plan. The program is designed to be simple and fit into regular clinic visits so it could be used widely if it works. Pilot data show the approach is feasible and the team will test whether it improves adherence and narrows racial gaps in lupus outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase trust, improve medication adherence, and help reduce racial disparities in lupus complications such as kidney failure.
How similar studies have gone: Previous adherence programs in SLE using reminders and education have had limited success, so this communication-focused use of refill data is relatively new though pilot results are promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sun, Kai — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Sun, Kai
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving communication and medication adherence for Black patients with lupus
This study is all about helping Black patients with lupus feel more comfortable talking to their doctors so they can stick to their medications better, by training healthcare providers in better communication and understanding the specific challenges these patients face.
-
Immunostimulatory short non-coding RNAs and lupus
A study in people with lupus looks at tiny RNA pieces that may spark inflammation, to understand if they drive disease activity.
-
Antiviral factors that limit HIV in people with SLE
Researchers at Howard University are studying how immune factors in people with lupus may help limit HIV infection.
-
Mechanistic clues about lupus from immune disorders
This grant looks at why certain immune disorders in people with genetic immune problems lead to lupus-like symptoms, by studying patients and mouse models.
-
Subjective thinking challenges in adults with lupus as they age
This grant aims to understand how lupus-related cognitive problems affect adults, especially older adults, and tests a real-time method to track daily fluctuations in those symptoms.
-
Mitochondrial targets of antibodies in lupus (SLE)
A Johns Hopkins-led study will identify which mitochondrial membrane proteins are targeted by autoantibodies in lupus patients to understand how these immune attacks fuel the disease.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.