A pilot study of the epilepsy risk awareness checklist (ERAC) in people with epilepsy and learning disabilities

People with epilepsy are at risk of injury, and protection from potential dangers must be balanced against the need for autonomy. We developed an epilepsy risk awareness checklist (ERAC) as a tool to assess potential risks of epilepsy and related injuries, aiming to improve management strategies. It was designed for use by specialist nurses (in learning disability and epilepsy), as there was no existing tool for this. This study refined and tested this checklist in patients with epilepsy and learning disability in a range of community settings.

We used quantitative and qualitative measures to devise and revise the tool. Eleven qualified learning disability nurses completed the ERAC in three patients each (33 patients) using a purposive sampling method. They provided quantitative and qualitative feedback through questionnaires and interviews, and an expert panel reviewed and commented on the checklist.

The checklist was revised through the evaluation process. All eleven nurses concluded that they would use the tool again.

The epilepsy risk awareness checklist (ERAC) provides a measure of risk, and this study suggests that it is a useful tool in the care of people with learning disability and epilepsy. A larger scale study is planned.