Lee J, et al. - In the present study, researchers assessed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who persistently visit the emergency department (ED) to identify opportunities to improve outpatient care. The sample consisted of SLE patients who frequented the ED for ≥ 3 visits in a calendar year, from 2013 to 2016. According to this retrospective study, 77 participants were identified who had 1,143 encounters as persistent users [those who met criteria for persistent use for at least 2 of the 4 years], and 52 participants who had 335 encounters as limited users. Findings revealed that persistent users accounted for 77% of the use of ED by SLE patients who visited the ED. The authors discovered that the major cause of ED use was a pain. As evidenced by frequent discharges from ED and short-stay admissions, patients with SLE who persistently use the ED for pain were likely to be noncritically ill. SLE patients who persistently visit the ED for pain were a viable target for interventions to improve the quality of outpatient care.