Effects of an educational program on self-management in patients with epilepsy

PURPOSE Self-management majorly determines the health status of patients with epilepsy because the most important strategies for controlling seizures include receiving and adhering to prescribed therapies, and making appropriate lifestyle adjustments. Patients with epilepsy have various educational needs and must adopt many self-management behaviors to control their condition. This study was a clinical trial that evaluated the effects of an educational program on self-management in patients with epilepsy. METHODS Participants (n=60) were recruited from the Neurology Clinic in Zanjan, Iran. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups (n=30 in each). The intervention group received four educational sessions on epilepsy, including a self-management plan. All participants completed the Epilepsy Self-Management Scale before the intervention and 1 month post-intervention. The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, and paired samples t-test were used to compare the groups. RESULTS At baseline, demographic characteristics and self-management scores did not differ significantly. One month after the intervention, self-management scores differed significantly (p<0.001) between the two groups. CONCLUSION The educational program had beneficial effects on self-management behaviors in patients with epilepsy.