In recent years, the healthcare system in the United States has changed how patients get care. One area where this change is clear is in treating nonepileptic seizures (NES). NES is often misunderstood and not treated enough because diagnosis and care are complex. During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth became an important tool to improve patient involvement in NES treatment programs that use many types of healthcare workers. This article talks about how telehealth affected this area, patient factors that affect involvement, gaps in NES treatment, and how technology like artificial intelligence and workflow automation helps healthcare providers and staff.
Nonepileptic seizures (NES) look like epileptic seizures but do not show the usual brain electrical activity of epilepsy. These episodes may happen because of psychological or neurological problems. Treatment needs many types of specialists, including neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists. Treatment is hard because it can be difficult to find the right care and coordinate between different specialists.
Across the United States, there are few clinics that focus on NES treatment. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) says only 18 places cover full care for adult NES patients. This lack makes it hard for many patients who live far from these centers to get the care they need.
Before the pandemic, patient involvement in NES treatment was often low. The University of Colorado NES Clinic, the only NES clinic in the Mountain West, had trouble with patient participation. But when COVID-19 made healthcare switch to remote care quickly, telehealth became the main way to provide treatment.
A 2022 study from the University of Colorado NES Clinic showed a 23.6% rise in patient involvement after telehealth started during the pandemic. This increase happened because telehealth reduced problems like travel and distance and also helped with fears about in-person visits.
The study showed telehealth gave patients better access by lowering these barriers. Many NES patients live more than 25 miles from special clinics. Telehealth let them get treatment without having to travel.
The study found important facts about who uses telehealth for NES treatment. Patients who were mostly white, non-Hispanic, and had public insurance used telehealth more. Having a job also helped patients balance treatment with work because telehealth was easier for them.
The study used the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to check patient health. Patients with a CCI of zero, meaning fewer other health issues, were more involved with telehealth. This might be because fewer health problems made NES treatment via telehealth easier.
Patients who had fewer seizures per day (zero to one) tended to use telehealth more. Less frequent seizures may need less urgent in-person care. Also, patients without suicidal thoughts or past attempts were more involved in telehealth, maybe because they had more stable mental health.
Going to an NES clinic can be hard. Many patients live far from these centers, and traveling can cost time and money. Telehealth removes the need to be there physically. Patients can meet many specialists from home.
Besides travel issues, psychological barriers can keep patients from starting or continuing treatment. NES can involve mental health stigma or fear of being seen. Telehealth lets patients talk privately and comfortably from their homes.
With regular telehealth visits, patients are more likely to keep up with treatment, follow therapy, and stay connected to teams of specialists. This connection is important because NES treatment often involves therapy, medicine, and brain check-ups.
NES treatment needs teamwork among many healthcare workers like neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists for neurological issues. This approach can be hard to organize but is needed for good patient care.
The 18 NES clinics in the United States offer many types of treatments. These include individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and medicine for psychiatric symptoms. Research from these clinics shows that full care lowers hospital visits and emergency room use. This helps reduce healthcare costs.
Sending patients to functional seizure clinics helps them get coordinated care and cuts medical costs. There is a need to grow these services beyond the few existing clinics.
NES clinics have complex operations. They must schedule many types of appointments and manage patient communications. Technology can help a lot. Simbo AI offers front-office phone automation and answering services that use artificial intelligence. Using these tools in NES clinics can make front-office work easier in many ways:
Using automation and AI, Simbo AI helps NES clinics handle more telehealth patients without lowering quality. This lets healthcare teams focus more on care and planning than on routine office tasks.
With many more telehealth visits, clinics need good management systems to handle different workflows than in-person care. AI and automation can make work easier in several areas:
Using AI-based front-office automation, NES telehealth clinics can improve patient experience, increase capacity, and cut costs. These improvements are key for specialty clinics that face high demand but have limited resources.
Healthcare administrators and clinic owners running NES programs should see telehealth as a way to increase access and patient involvement. Telehealth grew quickly due to COVID-19 rules. Keeping it after the pandemic means investing in technology and changing how workflows run.
IT managers should link AI front-office tools with telehealth platforms to improve scheduling, reduce missed appointments, and boost patient satisfaction. Keeping all communications and data secure and following HIPAA rules is very important.
Training staff to use these digital tools well is important. Teams must also work smoothly with remote patient care plans. Watching patient outcomes and involvement through telehealth data can help clinics improve.
Using telehealth and automation helps NES patients in rural or underserved places get better care. Clinics in cities can serve more people in wider areas without lowering treatment quality. This also cuts travel time and costs for patients.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth showed it can improve patient involvement in complex brain and mental health conditions like NES. The University of Colorado NES Clinic saw a 23.6% rise in patient participation using telehealth.
Simbo AI’s phone automation tools support these improvements by making clinic work simpler and patient communication better. For NES clinics with many specialists, combining telehealth with AI automation can help keep patients, reduce office work problems, and support better health results.
As NES clinics and other special providers continue to adapt to changes in healthcare, investing in telehealth and smart workflow automation will be important. This will help meet patient needs and make better use of resources across the United States.
The study focuses on the influence of telehealth on patient engagement at a multidisciplinary Non-Epileptic Seizure (NES) Clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Telehealth improved patient engagement in treatment for nonepileptic seizures by 23.6% following the implementation of COVID-19 regulations.
Patients who engaged via telehealth were more likely to be white, non-Hispanic, publicly insured, employed, and have a Charlson Comorbidity Index of zero.
A CCI of zero indicated lower comorbidity, which was associated with higher engagement in telehealth treatment.
Telehealth helps reduce logistical and psychological barriers to initiating treatment, which is critical given the limited access to care for NES patients.
Only 18 institutions across the United States deliver multidisciplinary treatment for nonepileptic seizures (NES).
Factors included living more than 25 miles from the clinic, having a daily seizure rate of 0–1, and not having suicidal ideation or attempts.
The study emphasizes the importance of utilizing telehealth to improve access to treatments for patients with NES, addressing existing gaps in care.
Nonepileptic seizures (NES) are episodes that may resemble seizures but do not have a neurological origin, often requiring specialized treatment.
The pandemic necessitated changes in how care was delivered, leading to an increased adoption of telehealth, which consequently improved patient engagement.
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