[Ambulance assignments for epilepsy seizures were more common in socioeconomically weaker areas]

Internationally, the prevalence and incidence of epilepsy increases with lower socioeconomic position. We analyzed GPS coordinates of ambulance assignments for seizures in Västra Götalandsregionen, a health care region in western Sweden with 1.7 million inhabitants, and correlated the number of assignments to socioeconomic data. As expected, epilepsy was more common in areas of lower socioeconomic level, but this correlation was weak. Ambulance assignments for seizures were more common in socioeconomically weaker areas, even when the higher prevalence of epilepsy was taken into account. Possible, not mutually exclusive, explanations include more severe epilepsy, lower ambitions in the epilepsy care provided, and/or differences in health care utilization behavior. The study illustrates the relevance of the 2019 national guidelines for improved equal access to epilepsy care. Data on socioeconomic parameters and prehospital care can be valuable for improvement of epilepsy care.