Impact of COVID-19 on quality of life in people with epilepsy, and a multinational comparison of clinical and psychological impacts

Abstract

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people with epilepsy: An interventional study using early physical consultation

“…People with epilepsy experienced seizure worsening, anxiety, and depression during a pandemic, including Malaysia. [4] , [18] , [19] , [20] In the USA, more than 40% reported significant difficulty in reaching their epilepsy healthcare provider for medical attention. [21] Our findings support the need to improve patient’s accessibility to medical services especially during lockdown or movement restriction period.…”

“…Participants who were treated in our hospital (UMMC) and completed phase 1 survey on the impact of COVID-19 on people with epilepsy, [4] were contacted via short messages (SMS) or email and offered an option to have early physical clinic consultation with a neurologist within 3 days. The early physical consultation was conducted in person and not using telemedicine.…”

“…In our phase 1 study [4] , participants received an invitation link to an online Google form comprising of structured questions on demographic data, clinical, logistic, and psychological impacts of COVID-19. Psychological impacts were assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31).…”

“…Seizure worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic was defined by an increase in seizure frequency, duration, or severity, as reported in our phase 1 study. [4] Seizure improvement after the intervention was defined by a reduction in seizure frequency, duration or severity.…”

“…Healthcare visits in Malaysia were disrupted and postponed, similar in other countries, leading to unprecedented loss of access to medical attention as well as medication supply, affecting the psychological well-being and quality of life. [3] , [4] Tough decisions were made daily to allocate finite resources to contain COVID-19 spread while providing continuous quality care to patients and keeping hospitals open.…”