title: The operational model of a network for managing patients with convulsive epilepsy in rural West China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish an operational model of a network for managing patients with convulsive epilepsy in rural areas of West China.
  
  
  METHODS
  The network is under unified leadership of the public health administration departments, who liaised with medical institutions and disease control and prevention organizations to foster local communities to participate. Patients with convulsive epilepsy were treated with phenobarbital. Trained local primary health care physicians carried out screening, treatment, and follow-up. Political, financial, and technological support was incrementally provided through the network. Efficacy was assessed as the percentage reduction in seizure frequency and the retention of patients on treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two thousand five hundred fourteen patients with active convulsive epilepsy were enrolled. After more than 1 year of treatment, 78.4% of the patients had a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency and 43.3% remained seizure free. Probability of retention was 85.8% at 750 days. Nearly 20% patients withdrew from the project, and most of them migrated out of the study areas. Some regular training and educational programs were also carried out.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pragmatic procedure suggests that the network could be suitable for managing convulsive epilepsy in resource-poor regions. Such a network could depend on existing primary health services to ensure its sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cairong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yali
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ningmei
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wendyl
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D019058:Community Networks; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010634:Phenobarbital