Abstracts

Rationale: Previous studies support the need for educational interventions among patients with epilepsy (PWE). Nurses play a crucial role in educating PWE and their families. This study evaluated the frequency in which epilepsy nurses discussed relevant topics in patients with the condition. Methods: As part of a nursing seminar, 47 attendees were invited to participate in an Audience Response System (ARS) questionnaire assessing frequency of discussing mortality and morbidity, non-pharmacologic treatment options, cognitive/memory issues, AED long-term adverse effects and non-adherence. Results were analyzed and include the percentage of attendees who answered "frequently or always" to corresponding questions. Results: Not every attendee responded to every question. Participants included 2 licensed vocational nurses, 14 RNs, 13 nurse practitioners, 5 physician’s assistants, and 1 other. Most participants had >6 years of neurology experience and practices comprised more than 4000 patients. There were 19 pediatric practices represented, 16 adult practices, and 9 practices with both adult and pediatric exposure. Forty-one percent indicated that they “frequently or always” discussed epilepsy surgery with patients with refractory seizures, 61% discussed vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), 23% discussed investigational AEDs trials, and only 16% discussed the ketogentic diet. Eighty-eight percent discussed cognitive and memory issues while 92% discussed long term adverse effects of AEDs. Eighty-four percent discussed the importance of adherence, while only 60% and 26% discussed morbidity and mortality, respectively. Conclusions: In this study, nurses were likely to discuss cognitive or memory issues, adherence and long term adverse effects of AEDs. Mortality was less likely to be discussed than morbidity. While VNS was the most common non-pharmacologic treatment option discussed, nurses were less likely to discuss alternative options, especially the ketogenic diet. Future studies should evaluate interventions to enhance educational discussions for nurses caring for patients with refractory epilepsy.