The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has today launched the Epilepsy Passport, a tool created to improve the communication between young people with epilepsy and healthcare professionals
The Epilepsy Passport is designed to contain up-to-date information on the child’s epilepsy and for children to carry their Passports with them. That way, in the case of an emergency, the information would be easily accessible by healthcare professionals and others who may be looking after the child.
The tool will also mean that parents will not have to repeat their child’s epilepsy history at each medical visit.
The information within the Passport includes:
- The type of seizures and epilepsy the child has
- The medications the child is receiving
- The ‘rescue medication’ the child takes and which medications should be avoided
- The clinicians leading their care
- The child’s emergency care plan
Dr Richard Appleton from the RCPCH and clinical lead for the project, said: “Poor communication has been one of the most important and longest-standing issues linked to poor epilepsy care and it may contribute to poor seizure control and hospital admissions.
“Our Epilepsy Passport is a simple idea which will help bridge the gap between patients and medical, as well as other professionals.
“With approximately 60,000 children suffering from Epilepsy in the UK today and with epilepsy related-deaths one of the top ten causes of death in the UK, this Passport also has the potential to be lifesaving.”
You can download the Epilepsy Passport now.
Funded by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), it is hoped that the Epilepsy Passport will also be used in adult epilepsy services across the UK in the future.
You can also download Epilepsy Action’s Patient Care Plan, designed to improve communication between different groups involved in the care of people with epilepsy, both in the hospital and in the community.