Assessing the Use of Mobile Phone Technology to Support Epilepsy Management
Abstract number :
3.105
Submission category :
2. Translational Research / 2B. Devices, Technologies, Stem Cells
Year :
2022
Submission ID :
2204493
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/5/2022 12:00:00 PM
Published date :
Nov 22, 2022, 05:25 AM
Authors :
Mark Kaddumukasa, MD, PhD – Makerere University; Martin Kaddumukasa, MD, PhD – Mulago Hospital; Elly Katabira, FRCP – Makerere University; Jennifer Levin, MD, PhD – Case Western Reserve University; Martha Sajatovic, MD, PhD – 3 Neurological and Behavioral Outcomes Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center & Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Rationale: Managing epilepsy remains a challenge with inaccurate seizure frequencies and reporting. Self-reported seizure recall is subject to inaccurate reporting due to forgetting, especially if clinical visits are spaced out over longer periods of time. Limitations of keeping seizure logs updated, especially when there are no regular reminders exist. No studies have been conducted in epilepsy using short message service (SMS). This is a significant gap given both the rapidly growing use of mobile phone technology among Ugandans and the great potential for SMS to be a tool that can help with both care engagement among PWE and to optimize seizure monitoring. The study therefore set out to determine mobile phone ownership/use, acceptability of SMS to support epilepsy care and to correlate the SMS-facilitated seizure frequencies reporting among PWE compared to past recall seizure frequency self-report (the current standard of epilepsy care in the Ugandan setting).
Methods: This was a 2-phased study. _x000D_
Phase 1: Using a cross-sectional observational survey of 100 PWE we evaluated mobile phone ownership and the ability to send and receive SMS on their phone. _x000D_
Phase 2: 5-10 PWE from Phase 1, were invited to participate in a 4-week prospective trial of receiving and sending SMS on a weekly basis.
Results: A total of 78 adult PWE, had access to a mobile phone and were able to send and receive SMS on their phones. The mean age of 23.47 (SD = 5.3) years. All except study participants expressed that an SMS helpline would be helpful. The average distance from a nearest health center was greater than 50 km. Over the 4 weeks follow up, results indicate that SMS seizure reporting is feasible and acceptable and can easily inform health care workers on adjustments required for AEDs and seizure control.
Conclusions: SMS text messages can be a practical and acceptable method to seek urgent help in patients with epilepsy who reside in regions with poor access to healthcare. There is a need to further develop and evaluate develop protocols for providing safe and effective care to epilepsy patients via mobile health technologies.
Funding: The study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes Health (K43TW010401) NINDS and Fogarty International Center (FIC) to Mark Kaddumukasa. The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
Translational Research