Developing and assessing the acceptability of an epilepsy first aid training intervention for patients who visit UK emergency departments: A multi-method study of patients and professionals

Darlene A. Snape*, Myfanwy Morgan, Leone Ridsdale, Steve Goodacre, Anthony G. Marson, Adam J. Noble

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
185 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Epilepsy affects around 1% of the UK population; 40% of whom experience two or more seizures annually. However, most Emergency Department (ED) visits by people with epilepsy (PWE) are clinically unnecessary. Evidence highlights that with correct training, seizures can be safely managed by patients and their families within the community. Arguably therefore, PWE who frequently visit the ED might benefit from a self-management intervention that improves their own and their families' confidence and ability in managing seizures. Currently, no such intervention is available for PWE attending the ED. A collaborative approach (patients, carers, health professionals) was adopted to develop a patient-focused, self-management intervention. An existing group-based seizure management course, offered by the Epilepsy Society, was adapted. Collaborative feedback was sought via a base-line document review, one-to-one semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. The applied framework provided a systematic approach from development through to implementation. Participant feedback overall was extremely positive. People with epilepsy who visit the ED reported a positive view of epilepsy seizure first aid training and associated educational materials. Their feedback was then used to develop the optimized intervention presented here. Strengths and perceived barriers to successful implementation and participation, as well as the practical and psychosocial benefits, were identified. We describe the developed intervention together with the process followed. This description, while being project-specific, provides a useful template to assist in the development of interventions more generally. Ongoing evaluation will determine the effects of the training intervention on participants' behavior.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)177-185
Number of pages9
JournalEpilepsy & Behavior
Volume68
Early online date1 Feb 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2017

Keywords

  • Epilepsy
  • First aid
  • Seizures
  • Self-management education
  • Service user participation
  • Training intervention development

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Developing and assessing the acceptability of an epilepsy first aid training intervention for patients who visit UK emergency departments: A multi-method study of patients and professionals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this