Concerns with AED Conversion: Comparison of Patient and Physician Perspectives

Title: Concerns with AED Conversion: Comparison of Patient and Physician Perspectives

Volume: 7 Issue: 2

Author(s): Brien J. Smith, Erik K. St. Louis, John M. Stern, Chad Green and Thomas Bramley

Affiliation:

Keywords: Epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs, conversion, patient preferences

Abstract: When discussing AED conversion in the clinic, both the patient and physician perspectives on the goals and risks of this change are important to consider. To identify patient-reported and clinician-perceived concerns, a panel of epilepsy specialists was questioned about the topics discussed with patients and the clinicians perspective of patient concerns. Findings of a literature review of articles that report patient-expressed concerns regarding their epilepsy and treatment were also reviewed. Results showed that the specialist panel appropriately identified patient-reported concerns of driving ability, medication cost, seizure control, and medication side effects. Additionally, patient-reported concerns of independence, employment issues, social stigma, medication dependence, and undesirable cognitive effects are important to address when considering and initiating AED conversion.

Cite this article as:

Smith J. Brien, St. Louis K. Erik, Stern M. John, Green Chad and Bramley Thomas, Concerns with AED Conversion: Comparison of Patient and Physician Perspectives, Current Neuropharmacology 2009; 7 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157015909788848947