Epilepsy Foundation Peer2Peer Module 3: Treatment Management Training.

1. Module 3: Treatment
Management

2. Quick Review
• What are a few topics we discussed
last week?

3. Module Objectives
• Discuss healthcare and how it relates to
epilepsy
• Provide information on different types of
treatment
• Talking to your healthcare provider
• Provide management tools

4. Who thinks they manage themselves
fairly well medically?
What works best for you?

5. Treatment Options
• Medication
• Ketogenic Diet
• Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS)
• Surgery

6. Healthcare: Before You Visit the Doctor
• Confirm that your visit will be covered by your
health insurance – call ahead to check
• Spend time thinking about what you want to
accomplish
– Is this a routine check-up or do you have in-depth
questions to ask? Do you need to complete any
forms?
• Make your appointments a priority – attend
them regularly

7. Healthcare: Concerns That You May
Have During Your Visit
• I am still having seizures, what should I do?
• I am having side effects from my medication, is there
something that can be done about that?
• Discuss any upcoming life changes and make sure to plan
for these changes
– New study habits
– Changes in your sleep pattern
– Changes to your diet
– Stress levels
– Getting your driver’s license
– Caffeine, alcohol, or any other beverage consumption
– Pregnancy
• If you’ve been seizure free for a long time, you can talk
about reducing or stopping your medicine

8. Healthcare: Medication Changes
• If your medication is changed, make sure that you
are aware of possible side effects or drug
interactions
• Most prescribed drugs have a generic medication
that is available and those tend to be less
expensive than their name brand counterparts
• If you are unsure of the cost differences, call your
insurance company to make sure that your new
prescription is covered

9. Healthcare: Understanding Insurance
and What’s Covered
• 2 main types of health insurance
– Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
– Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)
• Co-pay: a certain amount of money that the
patient pays out of pocket for their
appointments or medications
• Deductible: the amount of money that you are
expected to pay before your insurance company
will start contributing to your medical care

10. Healthcare: Challenge of Switching to
Generic Medication
• Generic Medication: the patent on a medication
expires and competing companies make several
varieties of the same medicine
– These are roughly the same formula as the originally
patented drug, but they cost less than the original drug
• The FDA allows for a range of variability in these
medications, this slight difference could potentially
cause a seizure
• Talk to your doctor before switching to a generic brand
medication
• Likewise, do not allow your pharmacist to switch your
medication to generic without consulting your doctor

11. Healthcare: Challenge of Switching to
Generic Medication
• State laws do allow pharmacists to fill prescriptions in
generic form if “Brand Necessary” isn’t written on the
prescription by the doctor
• If you’re worried that your insurance might not cover a
certain medication, ask your doctor to request
coverage to your insurer
• Your insurance company may be required to cover
brand-name medicine if the generic does not work for
you
• Visit No More Seizures for more information
– http://www.nomoreseizures.org

12. Healthcare: Mail-Order Prescriptions
• A good option if your medication is expensive
and you don’t expect to change your dose
anytime soon
• Your insurance company might provide you a
specific mail-order pharmacy
• Possible incentives – in some cases you can
receive a three month supply for the price of
two months

13. Healthcare: Transitioning from a
Pediatrician
• If you’re comfortable with your pediatrician, you
can continue to see them until around age 20
• It is a good idea to change to a doctor of internal
medicine if you have drug interactions with birth
control or alcohol consumption
• You can also find a doctor who
specializes in adolescents if your
insurance will cover it

14. From Pediatric to Adult Care
• Changing from a familiar doctor to a
completely new doctor can be daunting but it
is necessary as you age into adulthood
• Some hospitals have transition clinics
specifically designed for youth
to adult care transition

15. Things to Consider Discussing With
Your New Doctor
• Lifestyle habits
(eating/sleeping)
• Birth-control
• Pregnancy
• Libido
• Mood changes
• Driving
• Living on your own
• Drinking alcohol &
exposure to other drugs
• Long-term disability
forms
• Support groups
• Special needs programs
• Psychiatric or mental
health questions

16. Management Tools
• Texting4Control
– Targets ages 13+ users with mobile phones to
receive daily text message reminders
– Receive reminders at specific times as well as
motivational messages
– Can record seizures in a patient diary, track
emergency room visits, and list rescue
medications and/or injuries
– Easy to share information with family and doctors

17. Management Tools
• WebEase
– Online source for epilepsy awareness, support,
and education
– Interactive self-management program for people
who have epilepsy
– Developed by a team of Emory University
researchers and physicians

18. Management Tools: WebEase
• How does it work?
– Serves as a guide to help you systematically manage
seizure activity and minimize seizure frequency
– Three interactive modules:
• Medication management, stress management, and sleep
management
– Includes MyLog, an online personal journal you can
use to track seizures, medication, stress, and sleep
patterns
– Also includes personalized feedback

19. Next Meeting
• Our next meeting will be an online module
which can be accessed under the Services tab
and by scrolling to Youth Programs selection
on the EFCST website.
– www.efcst.org
• The module will be open; Wed. July 9th and
will cover Module 4 Life Long Health.