Reducing epilepsy diagnostic and treatment gaps: Standardized paediatric epilepsy training courses for health care professionals

Abstract

Epilepsy is the most common serious chronic childhood neurological disorder, with 80% of individuals living with epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries.

Since 2005, Paediatric Epilepsy Training (PET) courses have been taught by the British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA), a charitable organization of neurologists, paediatricians, and allied health care professionals. The courses aim to improve the diagnosis and management of children with epilepsy. They have been taught internationally since 2012 in 17 countries across five continents. From 2005 until September 2021, over 14 000 participants attended PET courses.

PET1 is an entry level course for all health care professionals who look after children with suspected epilepsy. Course participants are primarily paediatricians, medical officers, or specialist nurses. It is a one-day course with a standardized curriculum that teaches evidence-based best practice.

Course evaluation is an integral component of PET1. This study reports the findings, using a well-established evaluation framework, of 250 PET1 courses delivered in 17 countries over 15 years. Data were gathered from participants immediately after the course and then 6 months later.

Ninety-eight per cent of participants reported that the PET course improved their clinical practice. For example, over 70% of responders reported improvements in both their ability to take a thorough medical history and their ability to distinguish between epileptic and non-epileptic seizures, which require very different treatment plans. Sixty-four per cent of participants reported that the PET course prompted improvements beyond their personal practice and into their wider clinical service. These included improved management of prolonged seizures and starting dedicated epilepsy clinics. Improvements in knowledge and clinical practice were most notable in low-resource settings.