Factors associated with utilization of healthcare resources among epilepsy patients

• Published in: Epilepsy research 2008-05, Vol.79 (2), p.120-129
• Main Authors: Bautista, Ramon Edmundo D, Tannahill Glen, E, Wludyka, Peter S, Shetty, Namrata K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Ambulatory Care - statistics & numerical data; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Anticonvulsants. Antiepileptics. Antiparkinson agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cost of care; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Drug Utilization; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - economics; Epilepsy - epidemiology; Female; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Health Resources - utilization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Multivariate Analysis; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Quality of life; Resource utilization; Seizure frequency; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0920-1211; 1872-6844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2008.01.003

Summary Purpose To determine those variables associated with utilization of healthcare resources in epilepsy patients. Methods We interviewed 256 epilepsy patients. Target variables included the number of clinic visits, ER visits and in-patient admissions over the past year and AEDs currently being used. Predictor variables were age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income, insurance, seizure frequency and QOLIE-10 results. We used univariate analysis to determine those factors associated with the target variables and multivariate analysis to ascertain those independently significant. Results On univariate analysis, higher seizure frequency and poorer QOLIE-10 scores were associated with the number of clinic visits, ER visits and in-patient admissions. Increased seizure frequency and male gender were associated with higher use of AEDs. Using ordinal logistic regression, QOLIE-10 scores was the only variable associated with the number of clinic visits. Both seizure frequency and QOLIE-10 scores were independently associated with the number of in-patient admissions while seizure frequency and male gender remained independently associated with AED use. Using binary logistic regression, QOLIE-10 scores and seizure frequency were independently associated with the number of ER visits. Conclusion Seizure frequency and quality of life are major factors associated with utilization of healthcare resources in epilepsy patients.