SK Life Science, Inc., a global leader in treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and a subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., has officially published the results from its latest study, which reveals significant gaps between patients and providers, potentially presenting up barriers in proper care and important treatment decisions.
To understand the significance of such a development, we must acknowledge that epilepsy happens to be the fourth most common neurological disorder, as it affects well over 3.4 million people in the U.S.. In case that wasn’t bad enough, the country alone records around 150,000 new cases each year. Markedly enough, people suffering from this condition have shown to experience recurrent, unprovoked seizures. Not just that, people with epilepsy are also at risk for accidents and other health complications, including depression and SUDEP.
Now, even with all the therapies available today, nearly one-third of people with epilepsy continue to experience seizures that remain uncontrolled.
Against that, named as Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths: A Patient and Provider Perspective on Epilepsy Treatment, and conducted by Wakefield Research, the said survey would reveal that an estimated three-quarters of people suffering from epilepsy were not sharing all seizures with their doctors.
These results were reached upon after taking into account responses from more than 500 patients living with epilepsy and 450 healthcare providers in the U.S. (neurologists, epileptologists, and advanced practice providers). Once the survey was done, it also learnned uncovered differences in the way each group defines seizure control and approaches to treatment decisions.
For the sake of an example here, nearly two-thirds (63%) of doctors believe it’s realistic to reduce seizures by 75-100%, but at the same time, more than three-quarters (78%) of patients don’t believe they’ll ever be seizure-free.
“As a company dedicated to improving outcomes for people with epilepsy, SK Life Science is committed to listening closely to the voices of both patients and providers,” said Sunita Misra, MD, PhD, Vice President of Global Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer, SK Life Science, Inc. “By shining a light on these communication gaps, we can better support informed treatment conversations, develop solutions that empower individuals, and advance our mission of bringing hope to the epilepsy community.”
Talk about the published results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from an estimated 90% of patients revealing they’d ask about switching medications if it meant better control. However, 88% of doctors continue to report pushback from patients or their families when they raise the idea, and as for the reasons behind that, they include concerns regarding side effects, cost, or uncertainty about benefit.
Next up, almost three-quarters (72%) of patients admitted that they don’t report all their seizures to their doctor. This was found to be the case largely because of their limited independence or a lack of belief that seizures were “significant enough” to report.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in consistent SUDEP conversations. While 88% of doctors revealed having discussed SUDEP, also known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, no more than 63% of patients recall having such a conversation with their healthcare provider. An estimated 1 in 5 patients who experience daily seizures had never even heard of SUDEP, the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures.
“These findings reinforce the idea that epilepsy care is about more than prescribing medication — it’s about ongoing communication, trust, and shared decision-making. Open dialogue between patients and their healthcare providers is critical to reducing seizure frequency, addressing risks like SUDEP, and ensuring treatment decisions are as effective and safe as possible,” said Pavel Klein, MD, neurologist. “The fact that so many patients feel uncertain about reporting seizures or achieving seizure freedom should make all of us in the epilepsy community rethink how we engage in these essential conversations.”
