Table 7. Number of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and controls who had visited a rheumatologist over an eight-year period preceding the index date.

Years preceding index date	Group, number (%)		P
	Patients with SLE	Controls
	n = 337	n = 1,348
8	25 (7.4)	33 (2.4)	<0.001
7	22 (6.5)	38 (2.8)	<0.001
6	34 (10.1)	45 (3.3)	<0.001
5	39 (11.6)	51 (3.8)	<0.001
4	42(12.5)	62 (4.6)	<0.001
3	47 (13.9)	59 (4.4)	<0.001
2	46 (13.6)	57 (4.2)	<0.001
1	190 (56.4)	61 (4.5)	<0.001
One year after index date	289 (85.8)	114 (8.4)	<0.001

SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus.