Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Nov 2020
Telehealth perceptions in patients with epilepsy and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has required novel solutions for issues that arise with social distancing. Telehealth has become one of those solutions in many clinics around the U. S. ⋯ We also conducted surveys by email with our providers who participated in these telehealth visits. We found that 66% of patients and 67% of providers would use a telehealth visit in the future if given the option. Review of our patients' and providers' comments provides valuable insights for building a long-term successful intractable epilepsy telehealth clinic.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Nov 2020
Counseling of people with epilepsy via telemedicine: Experiences at a German tertiary epilepsy center during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Driven by the challenges of alternative healthcare supply during the COVID-19 pandemic, acceptance and appreciation of telemedicine were assessed in a German tertiary epilepsy center. ⋯ Overall, people with epilepsy appear to be satisfied with telemedical counseling. However, patients greatly appreciate the medical services onsite and consider telemedicine as an add-on service rather than a substitute to visits onsite.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Oct 2020
ReviewBridging the healthcare gap: Building the case for epilepsy virtual clinics in the current healthcare environment.
Access to quality healthcare remains a challenge that is complicated by mounting pressures to control costs, and now, as we witness, the unprecedented strain placed on our healthcare delivery systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges in healthcare access have driven a need for innovative approaches ensuring connectivity to health providers. Telehealth services and virtual clinics offer accessible disease management pathways for patients living in health resource limited areas or, as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, where there may be potential barriers to existing healthcare resources. ⋯ By moving the diagnostic process out of the hospital or epilepsy center, it becomes possible to overcome growing gaps in neurology services. Virtual clinics have the potential to expand access to high-quality, cost-effective care for the patient. The virtual clinic remotely connects those in need of medical support with specialists anywhere in the world, at any time of the day.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Oct 2020
Medication self-management among parents of children with epilepsy at a tertiary care center in Malaysia.
Self-management is crucial in the management of chronic diseases. However, information is limited on medication self-management among parents of children with epilepsy. This study aimed to assess medication self-management among parents of children with epilepsy and its association with sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, antiepileptic drug (AED) regimen complexity, and parent self-reported AED adherence. ⋯ The overall medication self-management was satisfactory. Barriers to treatment should be addressed to empower parents to achieve better medication self-management. Furthermore, medication self-management should be reinforced among Malaysian Chinese patients and children with comorbidities.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Oct 2020
Case ReportsNeonatal SCN2A encephalopathy: A peculiar recognizable electroclinical sequence.
Sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 2 (SCN2A) gene encodes the Nav1.2 subunit of voltage-gated sodium channel in pyramidal neurons. SCN2A gain-of-function mutations are identified more and more often with gene panels and whole exome sequencing. Phenotype ranges from benign neonatal or infantile seizures to severe epileptic encephalopathy. Although large series of patients targeting genetic background point out two main phenotypes with SCN2A encephalopathy, Ohtahara syndrome and malignant migrating partial seizures in infancy (EMPSI), we noticed that in fact, a peculiar clinical and electroencephalogram (EEG) sequence distinct from these syndromes should suggest the diagnosis early. ⋯ Neonatal SCN2A encephalopathy has a recognizable phenotype starting soon after birth with alternating partial motor seizures evolving to infantile spasms and a discontinuous EEG pattern. Seizures improve spontaneously in the first year of life. This electroclinical sequence should indicate the search of SCN2A mutation and suggest the administration of sodium channel blockers.