Global Survey on Lupus: Topline Summary
World Lupus Federation
The Context
From 2021 to 2025, the World Lupus Federation (WLF) partnered with Sharp Insight to conduct annual global surveys of people living with lupus about topics ranging from steroid medication use, effects of lupus on other organs, and access to care. In 2025, WLF was interested in understanding the extent and impacts of kidney involvement (lupus nephritis) on those living with lupus.
Our Approach
Working collaboratively with WLF staff from multiple departments, including research and communications, Sharp Insight led the development of a survey tool to be administered worldwide. Original proposed survey items were based on previous global surveys that Sharp Insight had developed for WLF about the effects of lupus on organ systems and steroid medication use, as well as WLF’s specific objectives related to kidney involvement. Ultimately, WLF sought to approximate the prevalence of kidney involvement among those with lupus, gauge potential disconnect between reported lupus nephritis symptoms and knowledge of the disease, and usage of recommended diagnostic or treatment procedures. The project team arrived at final survey items that balanced clarity for respondents with depth of information in the data collected.
The Result
After collecting, cleaning, and analyzing the survey data, Sharp Insight shared preliminary findings with the WLF team to identify key takeaways most important to their various audiences (e.g., general public, people living with lupus, medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies). Once the topline findings were selected, Sharp Insight shared a Qualtrics dashboard with data visualization for specific survey items and developed a visual summary for public dissemination. WLF shared these publicly via a press release for World Lupus Day; both can be accessed below.
“Sharp Insight has played a critical role in developing and executing important global surveys for our organization, bringing a high level of precision and expertise to every project. Their thorough approach and consistent results have helped strengthen our understanding of the global lupus community we serve and inform meaningful action.”
