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Epilepsy, GeneralizedC2CEDRCTNCT04248920

Clinic to Community© Program for Adults With Epilepsy Admitted to Emergency Departments

A study testing Clinic to Community Education Program in people with Epilepsy, Generalized, run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Analysis of emergency department (ED) visits with a billing code for 'epilepsy' or 'seizure' found up to 37% are eligible for deferral. This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Clinic To Community© program (C2C) as an intervention for adults with epilepsy visiting emergency departments at a mid size… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Epilepsy, Generalized
What is being tested?
Clinic to Community Education Program
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
9 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
12 Sep 2022to 11 Dec 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adults (aged ≥18 years) visiting a participating ED for a seizure or an epilepsy-related concern.
  • Adults on anti-seizure medication prior to coming to the ED or prescribed anti-seizure medication at the ED.
  • Providing informed consent and having sufficient English language skills to complete questionnaires and participate in the intervention.

Who cannot join

  • Previous participation in the C2C program.
  • Known diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • London Health Sciences Centre

    London, Ontario, N6A 5W9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Clinic to Community© Program for Adults With Epilepsy Admitted to Emergency Departments: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Analysis of emergency department (ED) visits with a billing code for 'epilepsy' or 'seizure' found up to 37% are eligible for deferral. This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Clinic To Community© program (C2C) as an intervention for adults with epilepsy visiting emergency departments at a mid size hospital in Ontario, Canada. Participants in the intervention arm receive patient education to improve knowledge of epilepsy and access to community-based services. Participants in the control group are wait-listed and receive patient education 12 months later. The study objective is to successfully implement, recruit and retain participants for this intervention and evaluate whether C2C will reduce the frequency of ED visits, reduce felt stigma and improve quality of life, epilepsy knowledge, and self-management skills.

Read the detailed description

Emergency care for epilepsy can be appropriate and even life-saving, but up to 37% of emergency department (ED) visits by persons with epilepsy (PWE) are potentially deferrable, resulting from persons with known epilepsy and uncomplicated seizures. Past studies have shown that low self-management confidence among PWE leads to frequent emergency visits to the hospital. Other factors associated with increased use of EDs are increased seizure frequency, reduced medication, sub-optimal self-management, increased anxiety, increased depression, increased felt-stigma, and lower social and medical epilepsy knowledge.

In one catchment area in Ontario, Canada, the Southwest Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), there are an estimated 7508 prevalent cases of epilepsy associated with the use of approximately $55 million/year of provincial healthcare services. In addition, there are an estimated 433 incident cases costing an additional $4.6 million/year. Hospital care (including ED visits) accounts for 35.5% of the total cost equating to $21 million/year. Eliminating the 37% of deferrable ED visits equates to saving almost $8 million/year.

The Clinic to Community© (C2C) epilepsy education program has been developed using best practices for patient education. The content has been divided into an introductory 60 minute face-to-face session supported by strategy sheets that can be accessed online at www.clinictocommunity.ca

The Clinic To Community© program recognizes that epilepsy is unique among chronic conditions in that PWE lose their ability to make choices during a seizure and depend on the decisions of others including family, friends and colleagues to keep them safe. Many patients seek care in the ED to reduce their anxiety and for reassurance and that upon discharge from the ED, the inability to receive a prompt specialist appointment leads to the continued use of ED for these same patients.

This is a parallel, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the Clinic To Community© program plus treatment-as-usual (TAU) with TAU only (i.e. wait-list control). This study will not interfere with patients' clinical care. Eligible patients visiting a participating ED will be given information about the study and if they agree, will be referred. The C2C program will be delivered in-person, one-on-one for 60 minutes by appointment on a rolling basis to minimize wait-times and allow timely access to the intervention.

All participants will complete questionnaires before randomization and 12 months after randomization.

Being tested
Clinic to Community Education Program
Keywords
Health Care Utilization, Emergency Department
Medical subject headings
Epilepsy, Generalized, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Emergencies

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Clinic to Community Education ProgramBehavioural

    The C2C program aims to improve participants' knowledge of epilepsy and access to services and to provide support. Participants randomized to the intervention group will complete the C2C program. They will receive an in-person one-on-one 60-minute education session and will be introduced to, and encouraged to participate in, the programs and support services that are provided by Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario (ESWO).

Study groups in NCT04248920
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention GroupExperimentalIntervention Group. Participants randomized to the intervention group will complete the C2C program. They will receive an in-person one-on-one 60-minute education session and will be introduced to, and encouraged to participate in, the programs and support services that are provided by Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario (ESWO). As part of the C2C program, participants will be contacted 6 months later for a supplementary consultation over the telephone and to answer any questions. Epilepsy is unique among chronic, episodic disorders in that PWE lose their ability to make choices during a seizure and depend to a greater degree on the decisions of others including family, friends and colleagues. For this reason, we encourage the PWE to invite their support network to attend the patient education sessions.
Receives: Behavioral: Clinic to Community Education Program
Waitlist Control GroupOtherWaitlist Control Group. The control group continues TAU and will be followed up 12 months after randomization. The control group will receive C2C after the 12-month follow-up.
Receives: Behavioral: Clinic to Community Education Program

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Rate of engagement with the Clinic To Community© (C2C) program

    Evaluated by rate of ED referrals, rate of recruitment, rate of retention, and proportion who receive support education.

    Measured: Throughout study completion, approximately 2 years

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Frequency of epilepsy-related emergency department (ED) visits over the next 12 months

    Change from baseline in frequency of ED visits and health care utilization, adapted from the Canadian Community Health Survey

    Measured: Baseline (0), and 12 months

  2. Effect of participation in C2C on felt stigma using "Stigma Scale of Epilepsy"

    Change from baseline in using the Stigma Scale of Epilepsy, 3-item scale asking: "Because of epilepsy, (1) other people are uncomfortable with me; (2) treat me as inferior; (3) prefer to avoid me." Each of those questions is scored on a four-point scale:

    0 not at all; 1 yes, maybe; 2 yes, probably; 3 yes, definitely. Total scores range from 0 to 9 and categorized as not stigmatized (score of 0), mild-moderate (1-6) and highly stigmatized (7-9).

    Measured: Baseline (0) and 12 months

  3. Effect of participation in C2C on felt stigma using "Epilepsy Stigma Scale"

    Change from baseline measured by Epilepsy Stigma Scale, a 10-item measure evaluating stigma. Items are measured on a 7-point Likert Scale, from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree".

    Measured: Baseline (0) and 12 months

  4. Effect of participation in C2C on self-management skills

    Change from baseline measured by the Adult Epilepsy Self-Management Measurement Instrument (AESMMI-65) This measure is a 65-item scale assessing the frequency of use of epilepsy self-management practises. Contains seven domains: 1) healthcare communication, 2) treatment management, 3) coping, 4) social support, 5) seizure tracking, 6) wellness, and 7) seizure response.

    Measured: Baseline (0) and 12 months

  5. Effect of participation in C2C on quality of life

    Change from baseline measured by Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE 10), a 10-item scaled evaluating quality of life in adults with epilepsy. Responses range from "all of the time" to "none of the time"

    Measured: Baseline (0) and 12 months

  6. Effect of participation in C2C on epilepsy knowledge

    Change from baseline on the "Thinking About Epilepsy Questionnaire" knowledge subscale. Knowledge is assessed by answering true/false/I don't know

    Measured: Baseline (0) and 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Jan 2020
  2. Study start12 Sep 2022
  3. Primary completion11 Dec 2023
  4. Study completion11 Dec 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This is a parallel, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the Clinic To Community© program plus treatment-as-usual (TAU) with TAU only (i.e. wait-list control).
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
9 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04248920
Sponsor's protocol ID
9045
Acronym
C2CEDRCT
Status last verified
Jan 2024
First submitted
15 Jan 2020
Last updated
3 Jan 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: This study is partnered with the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI). Study data and other personal health information collected as a part of this research study will be shared with the Ontario Brain Institute. OBI is a not-for profit research institute that funds people to work together to find cures and better treatments for brain disorders. It includes not just doctors and researchers but patients, members of the medical community, government and other health-related organizations. This database of research data is known as 'Brain-CODE'. Brain-CODE is an open-access database. This means that researchers and organizations outside of this study can request access to study data that is in the Brain-CODE database. OBI may take data, combine it with data from many other people, and make it available to enhance the public's awareness of research. They will use tools to remove identifying information from these combined data sets, making the risk of identifiers minimal.

Publications

  • Bautista RE, Glen ET, Wludyka PS, Shetty NK. Factors associated with utilization of healthcare resources among epilepsy patients. Epilepsy Res. 2008 May;79(2-3):120-9. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2008.01.003. Epub 2008 Mar 12.

    PubMed 18339521
  • Bowen JM, Snead OC, Chandra K, Blackhouse G, Goeree R. Epilepsy care in ontario: an economic analysis of increasing access to epilepsy surgery. Ont Health Technol Assess Ser. 2012;12(18):1-41. Epub 2012 Jul 1.

    PubMed 23074428
  • Couldridge L, Kendall S, March A. A systematic overview--a decade of research'. The information and counselling needs of people with epilepsy. Seizure. 2001 Dec;10(8):605-14. doi: 10.1053/seiz.2001.0652.

    PubMed 11792167
  • Noble AJ, Mathieson A, Ridsdale L, Holmes EA, Morgan M, McKinlay A, Dickson JM, Jackson M, Hughes DA, Goodacre S, Marson AG. Developing patient-centred, feasible alternative care for adult emergency department users with epilepsy: protocol for the mixed-methods observational 'Collaborate' project. BMJ Open. 2019 Nov 2;9(11):e031696. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031696.

    PubMed 31678950
  • Kapoor, Deepa, Joubert, Gary, Thind, Amardeep, Secco, Mary, Speechley, Kathy Nixon. Number of Potentially Deferrable Patients Presenting to Emergency Departments in London with Seizures. Epilepsia 2007; Vol 48, Supplement 6

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Clinic to Community Education Program in people with Epilepsy, Generalized, run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Jan 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Rate of engagement with the Clinic To Community© (C2C) program (time frame: Throughout study completion, approximately 2 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04248920, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Jan 2024.

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