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Feasibility and effects of nurse run clinics for patients with epilepsy in general practice: randomised controlled
L Ridsdale1, D Robins, C Cryer
1Division of General Practice and Primary Care, United Medical School Guy's Hospital, London.
Objective:
To test the feasibility and effect of nurse run epilepsy clinics in primary care.
Design:
A randomised controlled trial of nurse run clinics versus "usual care."
Setting:
Six general practices in the South Thames region.
Subjects:
251 patients aged over 15 years who were taking anti-epileptic drugs or had a diagnosis of epilepsy and an attack in the past two years who met specified inclusion criteria and had responded to a questionnaire.
Main Outcome Measures:
Questionnaire responses and recording of key variables extracted from the clinical records before and after the intervention.
Results:
127 patients were randomised to a nurse run clinic, of whom 106 (83%) attended. The nurse wrote 28 letters to the general practitioners suggesting changes in epilepsy management. For this intervention group compared with the usual care group there was a highly significant improvement in the level of advice recorded as having been given on drug compliance, adverse drug effects, driving, alcohol intake, and self help groups.
Conclusions:
Nurse run clinics for patients with epilepsy were feasible and well attended. Such clinics can significantly improve the level of advice and drug management recorded.