Assessing Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), mortality and suicide in epilepsy from the lens of healthcare disparities: Data from a scoping review
Abstract number :
2.097
Submission category :
13. Health Services (Delivery of Care, Access to Care, Health Care Models)
Year :
2025
Submission ID :
207
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/7/2025 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Shital Patel, MD – Duke University
Senyene Hunter, MD, PhD – University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Sonal Bhatia, MD – Medical University of South Carolina
Rationale: Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) significantly impact outcomes in children with epilepsy, influencing prevalence, treatment access, and neuropsychological comorbidities. A recent scoping review identified disparities in epilepsy care, with most studies focusing on access to treatment and neuropsychological outcomes rather than mortality-related outcomes like Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), morality, and suicide. We aim to address this gap by systematically analyzing literature on SDOH and epilepsy-related mortality/SUDEP.
Methods: The PERC Health Equity SIG identified relevant studies from a prior scoping review and updated the search in May 2025. Inclusion criteria required peer-reviewed studies to assess SUDEP or mortality in disparity populations, with extracted data categorized by disparity populations and disparity outcome measures.
Results: Of the 15 peer-reviewed publications analyzed. Seven total publications examined SUDEP. Of those two assessed cardiac arrhythmias as indirect markers, five addressed general mortality without specifically mentioning SUDEP, and three evaluated suicide in persons with epilepsy. The most frequently reported SDOH was sex assigned at birth. Other disparity variables included socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Of these only one publication was assessing for disparities, while the others were reporting observations.
Conclusions: Limited current literature reveals significant disparities in epilepsy-related mortality but lacks comprehensive, intersectional analyses of SDOH. While sex assigned at birth is frequently examined in the existing literature, the roles of other variables such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and healthcare access remain understudied. Future research should use common SDOH data elements to enable consistent data collection, support cross-study comparisons, and inform equity-focused interventions.
Funding: None
Health Services (Delivery of Care, Access to Care, Health Care Models)