An audit of children referred with suspected epilepsy

Members of the British Paediatric Neurology Association were invited to participate in a national audit of children presenting with a possible diagnosis of epilepsy. The audit was based on a 'standard' or set of pre-determined questions drawn up by an advisory audit group. The audit form comprised a total of 30 questions divided into four sections addressing history, examination, investigation, treatment and communication. Information for the audit was obtained retrospectively from the child's case notes. Each participating centre or consultant was asked to audit the case notes of 20 children. At the end of the 12-month recruitment period three centres responded, contributing audit forms on 50 children. The required information was provided for the majority of the questions in each of the four sections, thereby meeting the audit 'standard'. Within the history section, only 32 of the 50 (64%) case notes had recorded whether or not there was 'any obvious provoking factor or circumstance to the episodes'. Communication was the least satisfactorily completed section with between none and 48% of the case notes documenting that the child's family had been informed of the existence of a voluntary epilepsy organization. Despite the simplicity of the audit form, the response for this national audit was considerably lower than anticipated.