Primary care doctors’ management behavior with respect to epilepsy in Kerala, southern India

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

“…According to Iyer et al [29], doctors need to have requisite skills in epilepsy care and management to be able to give an accurate clinical diagnosis and to get detailed history from a witness.…”

“…Snape et al [44] emphasize the importance of good communication between patients, doctors, and carers and counseling on beliefs about the cause and treatment of epilepsy, its triggering factors, and those that may reduce seizure frequency. The approach to treatment of seizures has greatly changed over the past two decades [29], and inclusion of epilepsy training in the medical curricula is crucial [45]. A more effective management of epilepsy requires a move from the "episodic reactive model of care" to a "proactive model of care", which includes active patient participation and empowerment of clients and health care professionals [46].…”

Epilepsy care challenges in developing countries

“…Subtherapeutic dosing was also noted to be an issue, with 28-66% recommending doses below defined daily doses [43]. Data from Kerala, India indicate that among 500 physicianlevel primary care providers, only 2.6% acknowledged having treated patients with focal seizures, suggesting many go undiagnosed.…”

Treatment Expenditure Pattern of Epileptic Patients: A Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital, Kolkata, India

“…According to Iyer et al a substantial proportion of the current large treatment gap in epilepsy in developing countries could be minimized by educating the primary care physicians about the diagnosis of epileptic seizures, cost-effective AED treatment, and need-based referral for specialized care [5]. …”