SMART: Self-Management for People with Epilepsy and a History of Negative Health Events

About the SMART Program

SMART is a program for adult individuals with sub-optimally controlled epilepsy, especially those who belong to disadvantaged subgroups, those who are under-insured, and veterans with epilepsy. Individuals in these subgroups are more likely to have unfavorable outcomes and often end up using expensive crisis-oriented care and thus may benefit most from self-management programs if they can be actively engaged. 

The program is comprised of eight group sessions facilitated by a trained nurse educator and a trained peer educator, delivered online and followed by maintenance sessions over eight to ten weeks.

Information for Providers

Self-MAnagement foR people Th epilepsy and a history of negative health events (SMART), developed with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is an investigation of adult individuals with sub-optimally controlled epilepsy, and involves educational and behavioral interventions intended to enhance epilepsy self-management. It is intended to improve self-management and mood and to reduce negative health events (NHEs) such as seizures and hospitalizations.

Training Opportunities

Nurse educators and Peer educators receive the SMART intervention training together. The training consists of a combination of learner self-study focused on written and video resources, live training with SMART curriculum instructors, and the opportunity to review and participate in interactive Q&A sessions with instructors and other trainees. Ongoing instructional support via phone or online is available as needed. In addition to learning the SMART curriculum, participants will have access to a brief SMART implementation guide, and learn about outcome evaluations that can support performance evaluation at SMART participating sites.

Questions? Please email HI.AES@hitchcock.org

Key Reference Publications

Sudhakar S, Aebi M, Burant C, Wilson B, Wenk J, Briggs FBS et al. Health literacy and education level correlates of participation and outcome in a remotely delivered epilepsy self-management program. Epilepsy Behav 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107026

Blixen C, Ghearing G, Wade O, Colon-Zimmerman K, Tyrrell M, Sajatovic M. Engaging stakeholders in the refinement of an evidence-based remotely delivered epilepsy self-management program for rural populations. Epilepsy Behav 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.107942

Briggs FBS, Wilson BK, Pyatka N, Colon-Zimmermann K, Sajatovic MM. Effects of a remotely delivered group-format epilepsy self-management program on adverse health outcomes in vulnerable people with epilepsy: a causal mediation analysis. Epilepsy Res 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2020.106303.

Kuman N, Aebi M, Lu E, Burant M, Sajatovic M. Ethnicity and health outcomes among people with epilepsy participating in an epilepsy self-management RCT. Epilepsy Behav 2019;101(Part A):106469.

Sajatovic M, Colon-Zimmermann K, Kahriman M, Fuentes-Casiano E, Chen P. One-year follow-up of a remotely delivered epilepsy self-management program in high-risk people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2019;96:237-243.

Sajatovic M, Colon-Zimmermann K, Kahriman M, Fuentes-Casiano E, Liu H, Tatsuoka C, Cassidy KA, Lhatoo S, Einstadter D, Chen P. A 6-month prospective randomized controlled trial of remotely delivered group format epilepsy self-management versus waitlist control for high-risk people with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2018 Aug 10. Doi: 10.1111/epi.14527.