Abstracts

Rationale: Improving the diagnosis and management of epilepsy in rural and underserved areas in the United States (US) is a challenging task with many barriers. The Connectors Project, a collaboration between the Epilepsy Foundation and UCB Pharma, is a multiyear project designed to improve epilepsy awareness and management in underserved communities. A core objective of the Connectors Project is to pilot new and innovative approaches to epilepsy awareness and education in 4 rural/underserved areas, including standardized curricula for clinicians and consumers. These approaches were tailored to the unique opportunities and challenges of each state. Methods: A series of consensus conferences explored opportunities and barriers throughout the US including access to local Epilepsy Foundations, neurologists, and epilepsy centers. Data from QuintilesIMS™ were examined for access to newer antiepileptic drugs in different regions, a proxy for quality of epilepsy care, and was used to identify specific public health measures in the US. Four states were chosen as examples of rural and underserved areas where the Epilepsy Foundation could implement awareness and educational programs: Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Each state had its own working group to assess challenges and create innovative solutions unique to these areas. Multiple interventions were held between June 2016 and June 2017 and consisted of: outreach and awareness programs, in-person health education to both clinicians and consumers, and digital health education. Pre- and post- (3 and 6 months) qualitative data were collected via in-person and online survey tools. Results: Interventions in each state were examined for type, intent, ease of use, and impact. The most successful approaches for each state are shown in Table 1 and the types of interventions are shown in Table 2. Conclusions: Local Epilepsy Foundation offices successfully facilitated connecting clinicians in rural and underserved areas to epilepsy education designed to enhance quality care in epilepsy. Building relationships with local clinicians of all disciplines was instrumental in generating participation. Similar educational opportunities for people with epilepsy and families addressed critical gaps in accessing quality epilepsy care and self-management. States tailored innovative approaches to overcome geographic challenges in reaching underserved populations. The use of digital learning offered promising approaches to reach people with epilepsy and families. Relationship building and repeated, consistent engagement with consumers can assist in improving communication and self-management skills among people with epilepsy. Funding: UCB Pharma-sponsored.