The SLICC/ACR damage index: progress report and experience in the field

The SLICC/ACR damage index for SLE was developed to assess accumulated dama ge since the onset of the disease. The damage includes non-reversible chang es in organs and systems affected by the disease process itself its therapy , or inter-current illness. This paper describes the development of the dam age index, its validation and its use. It is recommended as an outcome meas ure for longitudinal studies of prognosis and response to new therapies, an d as a stratification measure for clinical trials.