Brief CommunicationEconomic analysis of an epilepsy outreach model of care in a university hospital setting

- The Epilepsy Outreach Service provides care for people with intellectual disability and epilepsy living in residential care
- Over a 2 year period (July 2014-July 2016) 25 outreach clinics were provided at 11 residential sites in Cork city and county
- The mean number of OPD appointments per patient was significantly higher after the establishment of the service
- The mean number of ED attendances was significantly lower in the two years after implementation of the outreach service
- The total estimated costs of an outreach service model is less than half of the traditional outpatient model of care

The prevalence of epilepsy in people with intellectual disability is higher than in the general population and prevalence rates increase with increasing levels of disability. Prevalence rates of epilepsy are highest among those living in residential care. The healthcare needs of people with intellectual disability and epilepsy are complex and deserve special consideration in terms of healthcare provision and access to specialist epilepsy clinics, which are usually held in acute hospital campuses. This patient population is at risk of suboptimal care because of significant difficulties accessing specialist epilepsy care which is typically delivered in the environs of acute hospitals. In 2014, the epilepsy service at Cork University Hospital established an Epilepsy Outreach Service providing regular, ambulatory outpatient follow up at residential care facilities in Cork city and county in an effort to improve access to care, reduce the burden and expense of patient and carer travel to hospital outpatient appointments, and to provide a dedicated specialist phone service for epilepsy related queries in order to reduce emergency room visits when possible. We present the findings of an economic analysis of the outreach service model of care compared to the traditional hospital outpatient service and demonstrate significant cost savings and improved access to care with this model. Ideally these cost savings should be used to develop novel ways to enhance epilepsy care for persons with disability. We propose that this model of care can be more suitable for persons with disability living in residential care who are at risk of losing access to specialist epilepsy care.