48 research outputs found

    Highlights From the Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society 2022

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    With more than 6000 attendees between in-person and virtual offerings, the American Epilepsy Society Meeting 2022 in Nashville, felt as busy as in prepandemic times. An ever-growing number of physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals gathered to learn a variety of topics about epilepsy. The program was carefully tailored to meet the needs of professionals with different interests and career stages. This article summarizes the different symposia presented at the meeting. Basic science lectures addressed the primary elements of seizure generation and pathophysiology of epilepsy in different disease states. Scientists congregated to learn about anti-seizure medications, mechanisms of action, and new tools to treat epilepsy including surgery and neurostimulation. Some symposia were also dedicated to discuss epilepsy comorbidities and practical issues regarding epilepsy care. An increasing number of patient advocates discussing their stories were intertwined within scientific activities. Many smaller group sessions targeted more specific topics to encourage member participation, including Special Interest Groups, Investigator, and Skills Workshops. Special lectures included the renown Hoyer and Lombroso, an ILAE/IBE joint session, a spotlight on the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson on reproductive health in epilepsy, and a joint session with the NAEC on coding and reimbursement policies. The hot topics symposium was focused on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic epilepsy. A balanced collaboration with the industry allowed presentations of the latest pharmaceutical and engineering advances in satellite symposia

    The evaluation and costs of transition programs for youth with epilepsy.

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    There is limited information about the effectiveness of transition programs for youth moving from pediatric to adult care with any chronic disease. Two Delphi studies and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines about transition for epilepsy have suggested few critical outcome measures for transition. A single large prospective study found that the most important transition program elements were appropriate parent involvement, promotion of health self-efficacy, and meeting the adult team before transfer. Two Cochrane reviews of the value of transition for epilepsy found insufficient evidence to establish or refute the value of various programs, although evaluation of a few programs suggested a great deal of family/patient satisfaction. The cost of transition programs and their cost effectiveness have also not been established except for renal transplantation where transition programs were associated with fewer losses of the transplanted kidneys, a cost-effective outcome. Published data on the overall cost of care for children and adults with epilepsy may be helpful to establish a business plan for a transition program, and are briefly reviewed. Establishing cost effectiveness of transition programs for epilepsy would promote their establishment and viability. However, a number of studies will be needed based on the nature of the program, the healthcare system where it is carried out, and the type of epilepsy. In fee-for-service health systems, the reevaluation of patients with epilepsy prior to transfer may be sufficient to cover the costs of the transition program, whereas in single payer systems, there may be positive downstream health or societal benefits that justify the costs. A theoretical framework for comprehensive evaluation of epilepsy transition programs is needed. The Triple Aim Framework seems applicable with focus on population health, patient experiences, and cost and has the potential to assess transition interventions in the context of system-wide improvements in healthcare. Transition programs in general have not been well evaluated, and very little evaluation data exist regarding transition programs for epilepsy. We recommend more evaluative research using rigorous methodology to comprehensively assess these programs

    Predictors of SUDEP Counseling and Implications for Designing Interventions

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    OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe how often and why clinicians counsel people with epilepsy about sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Understanding counseling gaps can help design interventions. METHODS: We searched clinical notes of 77,924 patients from 2010 to 2014 from six hospitals to find examples of SUDEP counseling and seizure safety counseling. Visits were coded for patient, clinician, and visit factors, and documented reasons for counseling. We evaluated factors associated with SUDEP vs. seizure safety counseling, and reasons for counseling using bivariate and multivariable statistics. Reasons for counseling included: poor medication adherence, lifestyle factors (e.g., poor sleep, drinking alcohol), patient/family reluctance to make recommended medication adjustment, epilepsy surgery considerations, and patient education only. RESULTS: Analysis was restricted to two of six hospitals where 91% of counseling occurred. Documentation of SUDEP counseling was rare (332 of 33,821 patients, 1.0%), almost exclusively by epileptologists (98.5% of counseling), and stable over time, X CONCLUSIONS: Documentation of SUDEP is rare, and varies by clinician, hospital, and patient factors. Efforts to increase SUDEP counseling should focus on junior clinicians, and emphasize starting the conversation soon after onset of epilepsy

    Number of visits and costs for frequent ED users.

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    <p>Frequent ED users accounted for about 3% of all ED users, and this 3% of users accounted for 14% of total annual ED visits and 17% of total expenses generated from the all ED visits.</p
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