Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Apr;14(2):e200259.
doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200259. Epub 2024 Feb 8.

Disparities in Epilepsy Diagnosis and Management in High-Income Countries: A Review of the Literature

Joseph S Miller  1 , Folake Oladele  1 , Darrian McAfee  1 , Christopher O Adereti  1 , William H Theodore  1 , Elizabeth O Akinsoji  1
Affiliations
Review

Disparities in Epilepsy Diagnosis and Management in High-Income Countries: A Review of the Literature

Joseph S Miller et al. Neurol Clin Pract. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Currently, an estimated 3.4 million people in the United States live with epilepsy. Previous studies have identified health disparities associated with race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), sex, insurance status, and age in this population. However, there has been a dearth of research addressing these disparities. We performed a literature review of articles published between 2010 and 2020 pertaining to health disparities in people with epilepsy (PWE), identified key factors that contribute to gaps in their care, and discussed possible solutions.

Recent findings: Health disparities in prevalence, treatment access, time to diagnosis, health care delivery and engagement, and clinical outcomes were identified among individuals who were either of low SES, rural-based, uninsured/underinsured, older patients, patients of color, or female sex.

Summary: Disparities in care for PWE continue to persist. Greater priority should be placed on addressing these gaps intricately tied to sociodemographic factors. Reforms to mitigate health disparities in PWE are necessary for timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and positive long-term outcomes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no relevant disclosures. Full disclosure form information provided by the authors is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.

Figures

Figure
Figure. Search Strategy Flow Diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States; Baciu A, Negussie Y, Geller A, et al., eds. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity. National Academies Press (US); 2017. 2, The State of Health Disparities in the United States. - PubMed
    1. Thornton J. Data show big rise in deaths of people with neurological disorders. BMJ. 2018;360:k1278. doi:10.1136/bmj.k1278 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Epilepsy Today March 19, 2018. Accessed May 9, 2021. epilepsy.org.uk/news/news/public-health-england-report-highlights-increa...
    1. CDC Newsroom August 10, 2017. Accessed May 9, 2021. cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0810-epilepsy-prevalence.html
    1. Shavers VL. Measurement of socioeconomic status in health disparities research. J Natl Med Assoc. 2007;99(9):1013-1023. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources