Background: Childhood Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE) patients are younger at diagnosis and have a more severe disease course compared to adult onset SLE patients and develop significant complications related to disease and or immunosuppression. Moreover, female and minority populations experience higher rates of cSLE, with African American, Afro-Caribbean, and Hispanic populations being at greatest risk and having poor prognosis Methods: The Pediatric Alliance for Lupus initiative addressed the dearth in education and resources in a multi-stage process. First, we conducted a need assessment identifying knowledge gaps among healthcare providers (HCPs), and resources needed to care for cSLE patients and their families. Second, we educated HCPs about the diagnosis and treatment of cSLE by Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions/webinars (presented here). Third, HCPs participated in a Quality Improvement (QI) program on cSLE approved by the American Board of Pediatrics Maintenance of Certification Part 4. Finally, patients and caregivers were educated through the development of appropriate, culturally and linguistically sensitive cSLE resources. PAL disseminated materials among HCPs and the community to improve the awareness of the availability of these materials. Results: According to results from the statewide needs assessment (representative of every county throughout NJ), HCPs face significant challenges in providing care to cSLE patients and their families, in part due to the multi-systemic nature of the autoimmune disease. Conclusion: Based on this need, we developed educational sessions, with pre-post comparison data showing a significant increase in knowledge after HCP education. The 15 different materials developed as part of the endeavor is a major contribution to the cSLE community, HCPs and pediatric rheumatologists. Resources are available in multiple formats (PDF and web pages), and are accessible on the National Resource Center on Lupus, the latest web site of the Lupus Foundation of American that houses materials for SLE patients, their families, schools, HCPs, and the community at large. Improving cSLE knowledge will empower the children and adolescents and families by increasing their self-efficacy; and positively impact key health outcomes (transition readiness and HRQOL) that are not optimally addressed with current medical treatment alone.

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BackgroundAs part of our statewide childhood injury prevention education efforts, Safe Kids New Jersey, led by Central Jersey Family Health Consortium launched the Home Safe Home pilot program in 2013 to reduce preventable home injuries among young children. Home Safe Home is a replicable, evidence based model that incorporates strategies to increase knowledge and awareness, thereby improving safety in a child’s home environment.Home Safe Home kits were provided at no cost to strengthen at-risk, low-income families by removing financial barriers to acquiring safety devices. The program provided the opportunity to work directly with home visitation programs and provide high risk families with key home safety education along with safety devices to help prevent needless injuries.MethodsIn total, 94 families participated in the home visitation based study. Intervention group families received education and home safety devices during the first home visit and follow-up during the second. Control group families received education at the first home visit and safety devices were distributed at the second visit upon need. Data collected included usage of safety devices, a home assessment, pre/post surveys, and home injury reduction.ResultsFor those families receiving home safety education along with safety devices, there was 55% improvement of home safety, such that recommended usage of home safety devices, self-initiated safety interventions (tripping hazards, burn prevention, etc.), and safety precaution scores improved for both groups over time with the intervention group improving significantly more. In addition, the program provided leverage for enhancing capacity with increased funding and partnerships. In 2017, Home Safe Home was recognized by Safe Kids Worldwide for ‘Excellence in Home Safety in the U.S.’ConclusionsProvision of education and home safety devices through home visitation programs is an effective way to provide home safety education on unintentional injuries in the home.