Epilepsy clinic services, NICE guidelines and patient satisfaction--an audit

To audit the performance of the paediatric epilepsy services in a district general hospital based on NICE guidelines and parent satisfaction.

retrospective audit.

Paediatric epilepsy clinic in a district general hospital.

Consecutive children (n=54) with epilepsy attending the paediatric epilepsy clinic over a 4-month period.

Data from hospital notes was recorded in standardized study forms, which was subsequently entered into database and analysed independently. A parent/patient satisfaction survey was also conducted over the same period involving the same study population by sending out a postal questionnaire.

NICE epilepsy audit criteria and patient/carer satisfaction measured using the standards published by Webb et al.

The results show that the service achieved almost all the key targets set out in the NICE guidelines but performed less well in the parent satisfaction survey.

This audit suggests that in addition to NICE guidelines, an evaluation of parent/patient satisfaction should form part of assessment of the quality of paediatric epilepsy service.