NYMC Faculty Publications
Predictors of SUDEP Counseling and Implications for Designing Interventions
Author Type(s)
Faculty
Journal Title
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
First Page
107828
Last Page
107828
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2021
Department
Pediatrics
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe how often and why clinicians counsel people with epilepsy about sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Understanding counseling gaps can help design interventions.
METHODS: We searched clinical notes of 77,924 patients from 2010 to 2014 from six hospitals to find examples of SUDEP counseling and seizure safety counseling. Visits were coded for patient, clinician, and visit factors, and documented reasons for counseling. We evaluated factors associated with SUDEP vs. seizure safety counseling, and reasons for counseling using bivariate and multivariable statistics. Reasons for counseling included: poor medication adherence, lifestyle factors (e.g., poor sleep, drinking alcohol), patient/family reluctance to make recommended medication adjustment, epilepsy surgery considerations, and patient education only.
RESULTS: Analysis was restricted to two of six hospitals where 91% of counseling occurred. Documentation of SUDEP counseling was rare (332 of 33,821 patients, 1.0%), almost exclusively by epileptologists (98.5% of counseling), and stable over time, X
CONCLUSIONS: Documentation of SUDEP is rare, and varies by clinician, hospital, and patient factors. Efforts to increase SUDEP counseling should focus on junior clinicians, and emphasize starting the conversation soon after onset of epilepsy.
Recommended Citation
Barbour, K., Yozawitz, E. G., McGoldrick, P. E., Wolf, S., Nelson, A., & Grinspan, Z. M. (2021). Predictors of SUDEP Counseling and Implications for Designing Interventions. Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B, 117, 107828-107828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.107828
