Milenia Rivera Campusano1, Marie-Pierre Sylvestre1, Mark Keezer2, Colin Josephson3
1Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2Centre Hospitalier Universite de Montreal, 3University of Calgary
Objective:
We aimed to (1) describe the profile of transition-age people (12-25 years) with epilepsy, and (2) examine HCU patterns during the transition period, according to baseline factors such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, place of care, and socio-economic status.
Background:
The transition from pediatric to adult healthcare is a complex and vulnerable period for young adults with epilepsy. There can be care discontinuity, reduced adherence to antiseizure medications, and psychosocial challenges, influencing healthcare utilization (HCU).
Design/Methods:
This was a cohort study using administrative data from the Alberta Health Services databases, with 18 years of follow-up (2007-2025). Eligible participants are those with epilepsy diagnosed by 2020 and at or before age 16 years. The primary outcome was a composite of HCU, defined as the total number of healthcare encounters per year (number of hospitalizations and emergency department visits). We describe our study cohort at baseline and mean (95% CI) HCU across follow-up.
Results:
Among the 84,998 individuals with epilepsy, 4,712 met predefined calendar year and age criteria. Mean age was 10 years (SD: 4.1), and 2,496 (53%) were male. Healthcare utilization patterns varied based on comorbidities, place of care, and socioeconomic status. Individuals in specialized epilepsy centers showed higher healthcare use with a mean HCU of 13.72 visits (95% CI 12.92-14.53), while individuals with comorbidities exhibited higher utilization patterns with a mean HCU of 13.96 visits (95% CI 13.52-14.40).
Conclusions:
This study highlights how identifying comorbidities, place of care, and socioeconomic factors influence healthcare use in young people with epilepsy that are transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Understating the HCU patterns will enable the development of tailored interventions and better planning and allocation of healthcare resources. We are currently finalizing separate generalized additives models for each explanatory variable to estimate the HCU patterns across the transition period.
Disclaimer: Abstracts were not reviewed by Neurology® and do not reflect the views of Neurology® editors or staff.