Implementation Science Symposium: Moving the Needle in Epilepsy Care

In order to improve epilepsy care, clinical practice guidelines need to focus on implementation and adoption. This summary of an American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting symposium on implementation science reviews how this field offers a way to improve guideline utilization and help address knowledge-practice gaps. Historical examples in stroke and sepsis care, as well as present day examples in the treatment of status epilepticus, offer insight into how future guidelines can increase systematic uptake of evidence-based practices. The methodological tools of implementation science can also help address resource limitations and inequitable access to care. Future guideline development should incorporate implementation science practices to ensure the delivery of high-quality epilepsy care.