Related Experiment Videos
Global Campaign Against Epilepsy:the treatment gap
1British Medical Journal, London, U.K. rkale@bmj.com
Epilepsia
|August 23, 2002
Summary
The epilepsy treatment gap, affecting those needing care but not receiving it, is substantial, particularly in developing nations. Investigating the causes of this gap is crucial for improving global epilepsy management.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- The treatment gap represents individuals requiring medical care who do not receive it.
- This metric is underutilized in healthcare assessment.
- In epilepsy, the treatment gap is notably high in developing countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the treatment gap in the context of epilepsy.
- To highlight the high prevalence of the epilepsy treatment gap in developing regions.
- To identify the need for investigating the underlying causes of this gap.
Main Methods:
- Defining the treatment gap as the discrepancy between need and access to care.
- Estimating the epilepsy treatment gap using direct methods (prevalence studies) and indirect methods (drug consumption and epilepsy prevalence data).
Main Results:
- The treatment gap in epilepsy is significantly high in the developing world.
- Existing research has listed potential causes but has not investigated them.
Conclusions:
- The epilepsy treatment gap is a critical issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
- Further research is essential to investigate and address the root causes of the epilepsy treatment gap.