Feasibility and acceptability of mobile epilepsy educational system (MEES) for people with epilepsy in Malaysia.
BACKGROUND
Telemedicine innovations, including short message service (SMS), have been used to address a range of health concerns in a variety of settings. Practical, safe, and cost-effective, this simple tool can also potentially improve patients' understanding toward their own diseases via knowledge enhancement. This study was designed to develop and assess the feasibility and acceptability of an SMS-based epilepsy educational program for epilepsy patients.


METHODS
This was a prospective randomized interventional study. Epilepsy outpatients from three general hospitals in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia received the SMS-based mobile epilepsy educational system (MEES) for a 3-month period.


RESULTS
In total, 51 patients completed the study (median age, 25.0 years; 51.0% female; 92.2% Malay; 56.9% single; education level, 70.6% ≤SPM/Cambridge O-level equivalent; 25.5% supportive workers; monthly income, 58.8% ≤MYR 500.0/USD 158.5). Approximately 86.0% of the patients owned at least a mobile phone. The total cost of SMS delivery was economically affordable (MYR 3.08/USD 0.98 per patient). Overall, 74.0% agreed that MEES was either very or quite useful. It is encouraging that the majority of patients have offered positive comments and favorable opinions specifically toward epilepsy education (94.0%), drug-taking reminder (90.0%), and clinic appointment reminder (88.0%). It was also reported that 88.2% of the participants would recommend MEES to other people with epilepsy.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study adds to the growing evidence suggesting that a greater investment in telemedicine programs involving SMS would be both feasible and well received by patients and could be a potentially valuable approach to increase access and effectiveness of epilepsy care.
Centre for Clinical and Quality of Life Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. peilinlua@unisza.edu.my
Pei Lin
PL
Lua
Widiasmoro Selamat
WS
Neni
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D040421:Cell Phone; D004827:Epilepsy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging; D055815:Young Adult