#3-10E. Shaping Clinical Consensus: New Definitions for Sjögren’s Disease Severity (BMC Rheumatol, 2025)

How do you objectively define "severe" Sjögren’s disease in your daily clinic? Given the lack of standardized criteria for routine care, this remains a significant challenge. Today, we examine the "SHAPE" project, a qualitative study published in BMC Rheumatology that addresses this ambiguity. Through in-depth interviews with international experts, the authors explored global management practices and identified a significant lack of consensus on key clinical terms. Crucially, the paper proposes novel "working definitions" for mild, moderate, and severe disease specifically designed for routine practice—distinct from complex research indices like ESSDAI. While these definitions offer a promising framework for harmonizing patient care, critical appraisal is necessary; the study relied on a small sample of only eight experts recruited through the sponsor, suggesting potential selection bias and the need for broader validation. For our physician listeners, this episode provides valuable insights into structuring clinical assessments and navigating the heterogeneity of Sjögren’s disease, offering a tangible starting point for standardizing your own clinical decision-making.

Citation: Gregg E, Graham C, Watkins D, et al. Sjögren’s Hands-On Practice Exchange (SHAPE): a qualitative, expert opinion project in Sjögren’s disease clinical practice. BMC Rheumatol. 2025. DOI: 10.1186/s41927-025-00606-8

Disclaimer: This audio summary is based on personal interpretation and does not guarantee the exact content of the original paper. Please refer to the original article for details.