General practitioners' perceptions on management of epilepsy in primary care settings in Cape Town, South Africa: An exploratory pilot study

Lost opportunities to improve health literacy: Observations in a chronic illness clinic providing care for patients with epilepsy in Cape Town South Africa

“…In South Africa, Keikelame et al [12] explored the doctors' perceptions on management of epilepsy in primary care settings in Cape Town. Their study found that epilepsy is poorly managed.…”

‘A thing full of stories’: Traditional healers’ explanations of epilepsy and perspectives on collaboration with biomedical health care in Cape Town

“…Both because of this treatment gap and because there are many indigenous cultural explanations for epilepsy in different countries, some authors have suggested that traditional healers may have an important role to play in epilepsy management (Birbeck, 2010; Njamnshi et al, 2010; WHO, 2004). In South Africa, epilepsy management is reported to be poor in the public health sector (Keikelame, Hills, Naidu, de Sá, & Zweigenthal, 2012) and access to neurologists is difficult (Eastman, 2005). As in other African countries, some patients with epilepsy in South Africa consult traditional healers (Keikelame & Swartz, 2007; Eastman, 2005).…”

‘Whom will I give him to? The difficulty is mine’ : Psychosocial difficulties experienced by care givers of patients with epilepsy in Cape Town, South Africa

“…Our findings show that similar symptoms were reported by our participant whose husband was of the same age. This finding is of serious concern, more so that witness description on routine clinical investigations in primary care settings in Cape Town has been reported to be poor – thus inhibiting doctors in making a proper diagnosis (Keikelame, Hills, Naidu et al, 2012). Therefore, presenting symptoms such as these may be missed if carers do not have knowledge about epilepsy and when they are not adequately counselled about the illness.…”