Objective:

To enhance epilepsy education among caregivers of pediatric epilepsy patients by employing QR codes to disseminate targeted teaching points, improve information retention, and promote physician-patient collaboration

Background:

Caregivers play a crucial role in managing pediatric epilepsy but often feel overwhelmed by complex medical information, especially regarding surgical options. Mobile technology presents an opportunity to empower caregivers by providing accessible, vetted resources through QR codes, potentially improving clinic efficiency and reducing paperwork.

Design/Methods:

We implemented QR-coded posters in clinics and epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) linking to comprehensive epilepsy information on Epilepsy.com, covering topics such as seizure types, diagnostic methods, medications, epilepsy risks, SUDEP awareness, seizure first aid, surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy, and the Seizure Tracker® application. Caregivers could access and review the information at their own pace, mitigating information overload. Medical assistants and EMU nurses guided caregivers to these resources while awaiting specialist evaluations. Pre- and post-intervention nine-question surveys were conducted using Qualtrics and QuestionPro, available in English and Spanish, ensuring anonymity and preventing duplicate responses.

Results:

Out of 63 pre-intervention and 60 post-intervention survey responses, caregivers showed significant improvements in understanding epilepsy diagnoses, retention of complex concepts, satisfaction with care, and ease of accessing crucial information—including surgical options, genetic epilepsies, and support groups. The use of QR codes also reduced paperwork, enhancing both clinic and EMU efficiency.

Conclusions:

Utilizing QR codes linked to mobile resources effectively enhances epilepsy education among caregivers of pediatric patients, improving understanding, satisfaction, and access to crucial information while reducing information overload. The intervention also streamlines clinic and epilepsy monitoring unit operations by reducing paperwork. Integrating QR code technology into patient education strategies holds substantial promise for optimizing both patient and caregiver experiences. Future research should assess the sustained impact of this intervention and explore its scalability across diverse healthcare settings.