The Epilepsy Centers of Excellence at the Veterans Health Administration
Abstract number :
3.137
Submission category :
13. Health Services (Delivery of Care, Access to Care, Health Care Models)
Year :
2024
Submission ID :
5
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/9/2024 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Caleb Casanova, BS – Baylor College of Medicine
Zulfi Haneef, MBBS, MD – Baylor College of Medicine
Vincent Zhang, BA – Baylor College of Medicine
Jennifer Bonds King, MHA, FACHE – Veterans Health Administration
Rizwana Rehman, PhD – Veterans Health Administration
Nina Garga, MD – Veterans Health Administration, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine
Glenn Graham, MD, PhD – Veterans Health Administration, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs
Alan Towne, MD, MPH – Veterans Health Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
Rationale: The Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoEs) were established in 2008 by the Veterans Administration (VA) and began functioning in 2009 as a publicly funded organization with a mission to improve the treatment of veterans with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Key mission areas identified at inception were (1) clinical care, (2) research, (3) education, and (4) outreach. We evaluated the performance of the ECoE in these key areas since 2011 to evaluate how successful they have been in meeting their initial mandate.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed available data between 2011 and 2023 from relevant literature, ECoE annual reports, and the ECoE website. Clinical care was evaluated by examining annual utilization numbers for various epilepsy-related clinical care services. Research was assessed using the academic output and research funding reported in ECoE annual reports. Education and Outreach were qualitatively assessed using the most recent data available on the ECoE website and annual reports. Finally, we evaluated the ECoE organizational structure including the leadership for regional inclusivity and representation of key mission areas.
Results: Between 2011 and 2023, overall clinical visits increased from 10,487 in 2011 to 18,285 in 2023 (74.4% increase). Tele-epilepsy visits increased substantially following the COVID-19 pandemic, from 1,928 in 2019 to 4,950 in 2021 (156.8% increase). Other clinical categories are summarized in Figure 1. Overall research output increased from 116 projects to 150 projects between 2011 and 2023 (29.3% increase). Information on research funding was not available. Outreach efforts included >10 VA/non-VA collaborations such as the Epilepsy Foundation of America, Anita Kaufman Foundation, CURE Foundation, and others. The ECoE organizational structure was found to be highly interconnected and regionally represented, with special committees devoted to many key mission areas of epilepsy care (Figure 2).
Conclusions: Our analysis reveals broad success and progressive improvements in the ECoE mission areas of clinical care, research, education, and outreach. The clinical service utilization has shown progressive growth over the years, meeting the organizational mandate to improve the care of veterans with epilepsy. There is substantial research, education, and outreach activity. ECoE research funding information will help future assessments. The ECoE governance hierarchy facilitates smooth resource allocation regionally and for the key mission areas. Overall, the ECoE demonstrate a successful framework for improving the care of veterans with epilepsy.
Funding: No funding was received in support of this abstract.
Health Services (Delivery of Care, Access to Care, Health Care Models)