Disparities and Health Outcomes in Epilepsy Management

Epilepsy management outcomes vary widely across social, economic and geographic contexts. Disparities manifest in delayed diagnosis, uneven access to specialist care, differences in antiseizure medication provision and variable rates of seizure control. In high-income settings, marginalised populations experience poorer health outcomes despite overall healthcare advances. In low- and middle-income countries, treatment gaps exceed 80 per cent, driven by resource constraints, stigma and inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Socioeconomic status, educational attainment and rural residence intersect to influence the incidence and prevalence of epilepsy, as well as emergency department reliance and hospitalisation rates. These inequities contribute to increased morbidity and mortality, reduced quality of life and greater economic burden on individuals and health systems. A coordinated public health approach is required to identify affected populations, address systemic barriers and deliver culturally appropriate, resource-sensitive interventions. This requires integration of epidemiological surveillance, community education, capacity building for healthcare professionals and targeted policy measures to reduce the treatment gap and improve long-term outcomes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have examined socioeconomic and healthcare-utilisation patterns among children with epilepsy. Analysis of national survey data indicates that children from lower-income households are more likely to be diagnosed with epilepsy, to visit emergency departments and to see specialists more frequently than their higher-income counterparts. Income also moderates the relationship between epilepsy diagnosis and emergency department attendance, with financial hardship predicting greater reliance on acute care. Barriers such as difficulty securing appointments and transportation challenges leave nearly one in thirteen affected children without necessary care, highlighting the need for policy interventions that target specific structural obstacles to timely management and support the equitable delivery of paediatric epilepsy services.

Disparities and Health Outcomes in Epilepsy Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in disparities and health outcomes in epilepsy management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Incidence: Number of new epilepsy cases in a specified population over a defined period.

Prevalence: Proportion of individuals in a population who have epilepsy at a given time.

Antiseizure medication: Drug therapy aimed at reducing or preventing epileptic seizures.

Treatment gap: Proportion of people with epilepsy who require but do not receive adequate treatment.

Socioeconomic deprivation: Relative disadvantage in income, education and living conditions that affects health outcomes.

References

1. Toward an Integrated Public Health Approach for Epilepsy in the 21st Century. Preventing Chronic Disease (2014).
2. Socioeconomic status and healthcare utilization disparities among children with epilepsy in the United States: Results from a nationally representative sample. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Assessing the extent and determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in epilepsy in the UK: a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence. The Lancet Public Health (2024).
4. Prevalence, demographic and spatial distribution of treated epilepsy in France in 2020: a study based on the French national health data system. Journal of Neurology (2023).
5. Treatment gaps in epilepsy. Frontiers in Epidemiology (2022).