[WEB SITE] Online Patient Platform Improves Epilepsy Self-Management

Patients with epilepsy who participated in an online patient community showed improved ability to manage their condition well by making good medical decisions, according to a new study.

The study, published in the July 14 issue of Neurology, showed that patients with epilepsy taking part in the “Patients Like Me” online platform had improvements in “self-management” and “self-efficacy” of their condition.

Lead author, John D. Hixson, MD, University of California–San Francisco, explained to Medscape Medical News that these endpoints measured whether patients were making good decisions about how they managed their condition.

“Self-efficacy measures whether a patient knows the right thing to do, while self-management measures what the patient actually does. We chose these endpoints as they are validated metrics that reflect well what the online platform is suppose to deliver — helping patients manage their condition themselves.”

He pointed out that “Patients Like Me” is one of several online patient platforms available. These platforms are typically rooted in social media and allow patients to communicate with each other on forums. They also have educational videos and specific tools for tracking frequency and severity of seizures and recording medication side effects.

“This was a real-world study. It is the first study to do a rigorous assessment of this type of platform using validated measures,” Dr Hixson said.

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