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10/08/2023  |   12:30 PM - 2:00 PM   |  Courtroom

FREE WORKSHOP: Seizure Recognition and First Aid Certification

Abstract Summary

Background: About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime. That means seizures are common, and public health professionals might need to help someone during or after a seizure. However, many people do not know what to do when a person has a seizure leading to adverse outcomes or inappropriate treatment. Epilepsy is a chronic disease and a disorder of the brain that causes seizures. In 2015, 1.2% of the total US population had active epilepsy. This is about 3.4 million people with epilepsy nationwide: 3 million adults and 470,000 children. Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological problem yet diagnosis and treatment is often delayed or inadequate. Fifty-six percent of people reporting seizures continue to have seizures despite treatment. Additionally, only 1 out of 3 are being treated by a neurologist or epileptologist. These simple facts highlight the disparities in care facing people with seizures and epilepsy that leads to poor quality or delays in epilepsy care. Since public health professionals may encounter people with seizures in any setting, providing up-to-date information on diagnosis, treatment and self-management care may help improve access to epilepsy care. The Institute of Medicine Report on Epilepsy highlighted need for ongoing education of health professionals Methods: For years, the Epilepsy Foundation has partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to build nationwide programs to ensure school personnel, first responders, seniors, caregivers and the public are better trained to recognize seizures and administer first aid. For the first time ever, the training is offered as a certification program to the public. The program incorporates the Epilepsy Foundation’s new approach to seizure first aid — Stay.Safe.Side. This training uses adult learning principles to employ a variety of methods and ensure the content and delivery meets the needs of adult learners. This course helps participants activate prior learning, establish new information, and give learners opportunities to apply their new learning. The modules include a mix of lecture to represent content, terms, and concepts and a variety of interactive activities such as exercises, group discussions, knowledge checks, and scenarios to reinforce vital information. Real life seizure video footage and seizure first aid video demonstrations and images also convey key concepts and demonstration of skills. It is expected that participants will actively participate in training exercises, discussions, demonstrations and other activities to ensure that learning objectives will be met. Results: Since March 2020, 28,268 individuals have been certified in Seizure First Aid. The training has been converted to live on-line sessions due to COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines. Certified training participants represent the entire United States, including Puerto Rico. Several participants from outside of the United States have also been trained. More than 115 certified trainees completed the additional training requirements to become Seizure First Aid instructors. Conclusion: The Foundation’s Seizure First Aid Training is the only certification training program that ensures the general public may learn how to assist and supports the more than 3.4 million people living with epilepsy in the US. By offering Seizure First Aid Training to certified health education specialists, the Foundation will make certain the public health and health education workforce is better prepared to assure a Seizure Safe Nation.

Learning Objectives

• Identify correct and incorrect steps for helping a person having a seizure
• Identify when you should call emergency (911) in the event of a seizure
• Increase confidence to help a person during a seizure

Presentation

3440589_16122MargoThurman.pdf

Handouts

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