Epilepsy and education: A case-control analysis of the impact of an intensive epilepsy training program on...

To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practical skills of students submitted to a 6-week intensive training in epilepsy compared to students without any training but mandatory neurology classes.

It is a case-control study. After completing a 6-week intensive Academic, Clinical, and Research Program in epilepsy, TUMSs answered a validated Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) questionnaire. The control group, composed of undergraduate students who shared the same age, academic year, and compulsory hours for learning about epilepsy as TUMSs, was also assessed through the KAP instrument. Answers from both groups were submitted to Fisher exact and the χ² test to observe differences among groups. Descriptive statistics were also performed.

TUMSs displayed better results in theoretical knowledge such as the definition and causes of epilepsy, and the application of paraclinical studies essential for diagnosing epilepsy. From their perspective, people with epilepsy encounter restricted opportunities for preserving their social life and employment and they are more prone to workplace accidents. They are convinced that facing epilepsy presents a notable risk due to the difficulties linked with diagnosis, considering epilepsy a challenging disease for general practitioners to identify and follow up. Likewise, they exhibited improvement in treatment adjustment and treatment monitoring of patients with epilepsy, mainly in pregnancy cases. Finally, they had greater knowledge about what to do when they witness a person experiencing a seizure.

Our study showed that a 6-week intensive education program in epilepsy increased the knowledge and practical skills and changed the attitude toward patients with epilepsy of undergraduate students.