Epilepsy: Quality of Life and Cost of Care

The primary goal of epilepsy management is to enable the patient to lead a lifestyle as free from the medical and psychosocial complications of seizures as possible. This approach benefits a patient's quality of life as well as his or her family and society (particularly from a cost-of-care perspective). Though treatment with antiepileptic drugs is the primary therapy for epilepsy, physical and psychosocial issues must also be addressed. The indirect costs of epilepsy are related to the patient's ability to function. Since quality of life in epilepsy patients is improved with successful management, the indirect (and possibly the total) costs of epilepsy may decrease as the medical and psychosocial aspects of the disease are successfully managed.