Patient safety in refractory epilepsy service delivery

Epilepsy affects around 3.5% of Australians and is defined as ‘refractory’ if patients fail to control seizures with two or more anti-epileptic drugs. Refractory epilepsy is a chronic condition greatly diminishing patients’ quality of life, leading to poor psychosocial adjustment and co-morbidity. For refractory patients, surgical intervention can be effective for long-term seizure control. However, assessment can be extensive, and delays can negatively affect clinical outcomes. This study examined gaps in treatment for refractory epilepsy patients and their impact on resource-management, burden of disease and surgical underutilisation1 in order to: clarify patient pathways and service delivery and reveal experiential knowledge of routine clinical consultation and surgery to enhance patient safety and create smoother service transitions.