Epilepsy service reduces patient admissions
Royal North Shore Hospital witnessed a 15 per cent reduction in admissions in 2024 thanks to a non-admitted complex epilepsy service. Spearheaded by neurologist/
means many of these patients do not require a prolonged hospital admission,” Tania said. “They can undertake their investigations as an outpatient safely from the comfort of their home with the reassurance they will be seen rapidly for follow-up and treatment if required. “This is particularly helpful for patients who do not manage strange environments well - such as those with autism.” Clinicians were pleased with the results which had shown a reduction in the number of patients needing admission.
“The best indication of the success of a service such as this (apart from reduced admissions) is a reduction in the number of seizures a patient is having and the impact their seizures are having on their quality of life, social interactions and ability to participate in the community,” Tania said. Many patients with complex epilepsy have ongoing seizures despite multiple medications. They often require ongoing trials of rarely used medications and other advanced therapies to optimise their seizure control while limiting the side effects they experience.
epileptologist, Dr Tania Farrar, the service extension builds upon the foundation laid by the epilepsy clinic established two years ago.
It is aimed at catering to individuals grappling with
challenging epilepsy cases or comorbidities (the occurrence of two or more diseases in a person at one time), such as autism or brain injury. “The ability of the clinic to see patients presenting to the emergency department with seizures within one to two weeks of presentation for follow-up
Royal North Shore Hospital epilepsy team
15 NSLHD 2024 Year in Review
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