COVID-19 Resources for Epilepsy Clinicians
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The information on this page has been compiled to aid American Epilepsy Society (AES) members—including physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, allied health professionals, and other medical professionals—in their care of epilepsy patients.
Resources from other organizations represent the expertise and viewpoints of those groups, and AES appreciates the opportunity to make them easy for our members to access.
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Patient Management
Risk
In younger children, the fever that accompanies COVID19 may exacerbate seizures, as might any febrile illness. The main known elevated risk factors related to COVID19 are age, respiratory disease, and other chronic medical conditions not related to epilepsy. As for all, people with epilepsy should adhere to the CDC recommendations for reducing risk of infection.
Healthcare providers should advise patients on strategies to protect themselves from seizure breakthroughs, including:
- Reviewing the importance of treatment adherence
- Updating plans for managing breakthrough seizures, and ensuring necessary medications are on hand with expiration dates at least six months away
- Managing medication supply
- Initiate prescription refills at least one week before running out of medications for 30-day prescriptions and at least two weeks for 90-day prescriptions
- Work with pharmacists to synchronize prescription refills of all medications, not just antiseizure medications
- Determine home delivery options available from their pharmacy to minimize public exposure and prepare for possible limitations on out-of-home activities
- Accessing patient resources for self-care and mental health management
Medication Continuity
If feasible, providers might consider writing 90-day rather than 30-day supplies of medications. To say current, consult these resources:
- Use of Generic AEDs : Free AES webinar (recorded in 2016, renewed in 2020); enduring material: 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ ; results of three well-designed, prospective studies on generic AED substitutions and clinical strategies for patients regarding generic AED substitution
- Information on AED drug shortages
- Monitor drug shortages via the FDA Drug Shortages web page or the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) drug shortage tracking system (can be integrated into EHR systems)
- Provider resources for managing drug shortages
- AES Summary of Antiepileptic Drugs available in the US
- Substitution of different formulations of antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epilepsy; a 2016 AES Position Statement
- Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of AEDs, a 2017 AES Ask the Expert Webinar and CME activity
Supporting Patient Self-care
Resources available to providers for supporting patient self-care and mental health management include:
- How Self-Management Programs Can Improve the Care You Deliver: free webinar from AES (recorded in 2016, renewed in 2020), enduring material: 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ ; on evidenced-based self-management programs for people with epilepsy.
- Managing Epilepsy Well Network for self-management programs and tools for people with epilepsy and HCPs. AES is a supporting member of the MEW network.
- Clinician guidance Information Sheets on anxiety, depression, and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures for clinicians, developed by the AES
- Common psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy: what every neurologist must know. An AES Core Curriculum handout by Dr. Andres Kanner.
- Interprofessional Assessment and Intervention of the Psychosocial Comorbidities of Epilepsy. A recording from the 2016 Annual Meeting
- CDC COVID-19 resources on Stress and Coping
- Resources for healthcare providers from the American Psychological Association
Patient Access to Care
- Telehealth and other remote care options. Epilepsy centers and HCPs should also consider readiness for utilizing remote care options, if possible; i.e., telephone, telehealth, and electronic health record (EHR) messaging.
- FREE AES webinar, Telehealth for Epilepsy: Overcoming the Obstacles. Live Friday, April 3 at 12 PM ET, the link to the recording will be posted here once available
- AAN Telemedicine and COVID-19: webinar and implementation guide
- American Telemedicine Association
- Medicare coverage for virtual services has been expanded as of March 17, 2020. Details at cms.gov
- Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights
- For patients whose income or health insurance status may have changed
Public Health Resources
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statements and directives (Epilepsy-specific guidance anticipated soon)
- The CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) is hosting calls and webinars offering the most up-to-date information and guidance for clinicians (CE available for most). Join the email list here.
- World Health Organization
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Partner Toolkit with resources for clinicians and others
- State and local health departments: please monitor statements and actions in your own area
- For a complete and updated list of CMS actions, and other information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website
- American Thoracic Society (ATS) fact sheets
- EBSCO: shared courtesy of Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS)
Credentialing and Quality Reporting
- CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians, Providers, Hospitals, and Facilities Participating in Quality Reporting Programs in Response to COVID-19
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN): includes guidance to diplomates and fellows regarding credentialing matters
- American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): Statement Regarding Continuing Certification During COVID
- Federation of State Medical Board (FSMB): List of states that have waived or modified their licensure requirements for physicians to practice across state lines, list of states that are welcoming retired and inactive physicians
Information for Patients and Families
- Concerns about Coronavirus (prepared by the Epilepsy Foundation) provides advice for patients with epilepsy and their families
- Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE); COVID-19 and Epilepsy, Ask the Experts Live Stream (recorded March 18, 2020)
- Protecting Medically Complex and/or Immune-suppressed Children with Epilepsy from COVID-19: DEE-P Connections, International Foundation for CDKL5 Research, and Epilepsy Foundation recently held a webinar addressing common concerns related to COVID-19 for families living with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs)
- Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance’s COVID-19 and TSC Resources page for people with tuberous sclerosis complex and their families and loved ones
- Dup15q Alliance resources for families
Information for Educators and Trainees
- AES offers online education and training on epilepsy care and research. Most courses are accessible on-demand and freely available to AES members.
- Fellowship Curriculum
- EPIPORT – online clinical research training curriculum
- Self-Assessment in Epilepsy Activities
- EMU Caring
- Genetics in Epilepsy Curriculum
- Women with Epilepsy Curriculum
- Medical students, residents, and fellows
- AAMC offers guidance for medical schools and medical education programs
- ACGME Resident/Fellow Education and Training Considerations related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Social Science Space, including resources on migrating to online teaching in real-time. Produced by Sage Publishing
Information from Other Medical Organizations
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN): includes guidance to diplomates and fellows regarding credentialing matters
- American College of Physicians (ACP) Telemedicine Guide
- American Thoracic Society (ATS) fact sheets
- EBSCO: shared courtesy of Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS)
- Society of Critical Medicine (SCCN)
- Updated, freely-available COVID-19 article collection from Annals of International Medicine
- COVID-19 Considerations for TSC Medical Professionals: Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance’s Science and Medical Committee offers some general considerations for how to answer questions from TSC patients about COVID-19 and how to provide individualized care for TSC patients during this pandemic based on the information available to date
- American Clinical Neurophysiology Society resources: This link includes information on technologist safety and staffing, equipment maintenance and cleaning, managing requests for diagnostic testing, and physician staffing