A self-management program called SMART can help patients with epilepsy reduce the risk of negative health events according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
- A 6-month randomized controlled trial of the community-based program included 60 adult patients and was compared to 60 control patients on a waitlist.
- The experiment monitored a variety of events, including seizures, accidents, attempts at self-harm, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.
- The average patient in this trial was about 41 years old, about 70% were African American, 74% were unemployed.
- Patients who were randomized to the SMART program had fewer negative health events by 6 months compared to controls.
- SMART was also linked to improved scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire ( P=.002), the 10 item Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory, and the Short Form Health Survey.
Sajatovic M, Colon-Zimmermann K, Kahriman M, et al. A 6-month prospective randomized controlled trial of remotely delivered group format epilepsy self-management versus waitlist control for high-risk people with epilepsy. [Published online ahead of print August 10, 2018]. Epilepsia. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.14527.
