famoses: a modular educational program for children with epilepsy and their parents

It is known that most adult patients with epilepsy often have poor knowledge of their disorder, treatment options, and social and vocational consequences, despite the huge amount of information available. Being pressed for time, health care professionals often are not able to provide the repetitive counseling and instruction necessary to address epilepsy care adequately. Therefore educational programs are considered extremely important in filling the gap.

For German-speaking countries, two educational programs called famoses, modulares Schulungsprogramm Epilepsie fur Familien [modular service package epilepsy for families], were developed by a multidisciplinary group of neuropediatricians, psychologists, social workers, and educators. The aims of the famoses programs are to improve children's and parents' knowledge about epilepsy and to help patients of childhood age and their parents achieve a better understanding of their disease, gain more self-confidence, and reduce specific fears regarding epilepsy. famoses comprises two different educational programs: famoses for kids with epilepsy within the developmental period of ages 7 to 13, and famoses for parents or caretakers. The programs are designed for interactive small-group education.

The child-centered educational program is based on a fictional story: The children are sailors on a virtual cruise, sailing from island to island, accompanied by educated trainers. On each island there is something new to discover about epilepsy. The parent (and caretaker)-centered educational program covers different topics-overview and content of the program, basic knowledge, diagnostics, therapy, prognosis and development, and living with epilepsy-within six modules. The program was implemented in Germany and Switzerland in the spring of 2005 and is now operating in different epilepsy centers.

Within comprehensive therapeutic management of epilepsy, educational programs for patients, and for parents (caretakers) of children with epilepsy, are considered to be extremely important. Such educational programs have two main goals: to increase knowledge about the disorder, and to strengthen the patients' responsibility for themselves, with the consequence of living with as few limitations as possible. famoses is an effective component of this comprehensive care. The program has been operating successfully in different epilepsy centers in Germany and Switzerland since the spring of 2005.