Implementing Epilepsy Self-Management Programs in Healthcare Systems
Abstract number :
1.104
Submission category :
13. Health Services (Delivery of Care, Access to Care, Health Care Models)
Year :
2025
Submission ID :
985
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/6/2025 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Cam Escoffery, PhD, MPH – Emory University
Katie Bullinger, MD, PhD – Emory University School of Medicine
Archna Patel, MPH – Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Yvan Bamps, PhD – Emory University, School of Medicine
Daniel Winkel, MD – Emory University
Robin McGee, PhD – Emory University
Jerik Leung, MPH – Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Seiryo Sasaki, BS – Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Evelyn Henry, BS – Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Kyung Wha Kim, MD – Emory University, School of Medicine
Erica Johnson, PhD – University of Washington
Barbara Jobst, MD, Dr. MED, FAES, FAAN – Dartmouth Health
Elaine Kiriakopoulos, MD MPH MSc – Dartmouth Health
Rationale: Capacity building interventions are an integral aspect of preventing the implementation science-to-practice gap. Findings from the Managing Epilepsy Well Network (MEWN) indicate healthcare system barriers in evidence-based epilepsy self-management program adoption. HOBSCOTCH, an individually delivered program for people with epilepsy (PWE) who report cognitive difficulties, has been shown to improve quality of life (QOL) and cognition among PWE. Project UPLIFT is a group-based intervention and focuses on increasing skills to reduce depression and improve QOL. The purpose of this evaluation is to describe and assess effective strategies to increase recruitment for self-management programs in two health systems and measure their impacts.
Methods: We evaluated the implementation of HOBSCOTCH and UPLIFT at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital’s Epilepsy Centers. Strategies to recruit participants included: patient directed, physician referral, clinical staff referral or symptom directed (e.g., referral based on objective identification of symptoms of memory impairment or depression from neuropsychology testing, etc.). For the evaluation, we employed different sources including participant pre- and post-intervention surveys about demographics, epilepsy history of PWE, quality of life (QOL) and satisfaction and programmatic data about strategies and session completion. We analyzed quantitative data with descriptive statistics and qualitative data with thematic analysis.
Results: Currently, there are 45 participants enrolled in the two programs: 21 in UPLIFT and 24 in HOBSCOTCH. The programs have recruited a diverse population with 35.5% identifying as Black and 62.2% being females. Most (62.5%) completed the program sessions and the most successful recruitment strategies were physician (37.7%) and clinical staff (44.4%) referral strategies. Of the enrolled participants, 24 reported experiencing a seizure in the last 30 days with 18 reporting having between 1-3 seizures at baseline. More participants reported having Focal Onset Impaired Awareness (n=14) and Focal Bilateral Tonic-clonic (n=13) epilepsy types with 8 participants reporting having both types. 90% of HOBSCOTCH participants reported positive changes in QOL with an 13.8% overall change in scores; all UPLIFT participants reported a positive change in QOL with an 18.3% overall change. 90% of HOBSCOTCH participants rated the program’s usefulness as moderately to extremely useful, while 100% of UPLIFT participants rated the quality of UPLIFT as good or excellent.
Conclusions: Implementing HOBSCOTCH and Project UPLIFT has been successful in two health systems to address comorbidities. We are reaching diverse populations through telehealth delivery and have high patient satisfaction with the programs. These lessons learned can help other health systems implement these evidence-based self-management programs among their patients.
Funding: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention NU58DP007543
Health Services (Delivery of Care, Access to Care, Health Care Models)