Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers: An Insider’s Guide

This week on Seizing Life® Dr. Dave Clarke gives us a thorough overview of the specialists and services available at comprehensive epilepsy centers and offers advice about when and how to access these centers.

As Chief of the Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas and a Board Member of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), Dr. Dave Clarke is the perfect guest to provide a patient’s guide to comprehensive epilepsy centers. In previous episodes, we have often touched on the importance of seeking out an epilepsy center, but today we directly address the reasons to seek out a center, how to go about it, and what to expect when you get there. Dr. Clarke explains the four levels of care defined by the NAEC and clarifies the differences between level 3 and level 4 epilepsy centers. He outlines the “team approach” to epilepsy care that the centers provide, explaining the numerous personnel and tests that a patient may expect to encounter. Finally, Dr. Clarke offers advice for those who may not live near a center or who encounter other challenges to accessing care. This episode is essential for anyone who is struggling with diagnosis, seizure control, localizing seizures, or considering getting a second opinion. Comprehensive epilepsy centers provide the highest level of epilepsy care available, and everyone who needs this care should be able to access it.

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