Epilepsy management: the general practitioner's perspective

The opinions of general practitioners are considered important in the management of people with epilepsy. As part of an evaluation of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Service at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in South Australia, 120 general practitioners were surveyed about their opinions of the Service and epilepsy issues using self-administered questionnaires. This enabled their opinions about the Service and epilepsy management to be elicited for future planning of effective service provision. The results of the evaluation showed that the Service needed to have a higher profile in the community regarding its existence and role. GPs considered they should manage the care of patients with epilepsy but a cooperative approach between GPs and the Service was important for successful management of difficult cases. Education about epilepsy for the patient and GP was also considered to be important for successful service provision. The GP's involvement in evaluation is essential for influencing the way in which health care services are delivered with regard to availability and accessibility for both themselves and their patients and should be encouraged to ensure effective epilepsy patient management.