Preliminary Screening Questionnaire for Sjögren's Syndrome in the Rheumatology Setting.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is often misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment.
• Early detection is crucial for managing SS and preventing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple screening questionnaire for Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
• To improve early identification of SS in rheumatology practices.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Sjögren's Syndrome Screening Questionnaire (SSSQ) using data from 974 participants.
• Utilized logistic regression to identify key discriminative questions for SS.
• Validated the SSSQ against 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria.

Main Results:

• A 5-item SSSQ was derived, with specific questions showing significant discriminative power for SS.
• The SSSQ score (range 0-11) demonstrated 64% sensitivity and 58% specificity in distinguishing SS.
• Key discriminators included difficulty eating crackers without fluid, oral health, tearing, and smoking status.

Conclusions:

• The SSSQ is a straightforward tool for screening SS in clinical settings.
• Implementation of the SSSQ may reduce diagnostic delays for Sjögren's syndrome.