P.018 The Ottawa Epilepsy Program: region-wide coordinated and multidisciplinary care in the 21st century

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological illness worldwide, affecting more than 330, 000 people in Canada, 10, 000 of which reside in the Ottawa area. Despite facing higher mortality, stigma and social barriers, PLE (people living with epilepsy) incur treatment gaps even in high income countries like ours. Our goal was to address this burden locally with the creation of novel, community-integrated, care delivery for PLE in our area; we describe its inception. Methods: A transition program bridging pediatric and adult institutions was created to address the care continuity gap in 2017. Following a meeting of key stakeholders in the region in 2019, the community group was integrated into the model of care and the city-wide program was created incorporating adult, pediatric, transition and community pillars. A patient friendly website was launched in 2020 (ottawaepilepsyprogram.ca). Results: 170 patients were followed in the transition program since 2017. Adult and pediatric pillars have referred 70 patients to the community program between 2019-2020, 48 between 2020-2021. Through this, PLE are able to access the Clinic to community (C2C) and UPLIFT programs for social support services and mental health, respectively. Conclusions: An interconnected region-wide program can support PLE and foster innovative care integration across disciplines.