Treatment Gap in People with Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy in Australia

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious chronic neurological disorders and is estimated to affect approximately 68 million people worldwide. Antiepileptic drugs are the mainstay of treatment and suppress seizure occurrence. Epilepsy treatment gap is a recognised public health issue in resource-poor countries where up to 80% of people with epilepsy do not receive appropriate treatment. This phenomenon in resource-rich countries has not been well studied. Our recent study in Australia demonstrated 30% of adults with epilepsy did not commence treatment immediately at diagnosis. In this project, through linking to state and national databases, we will investigate the differences in outcomes between patients who were treated and not treated upon diagnosis. This project is suitable for students with background in clinical medicine, biomedical science and/or biostatistics.