Bola Adamolekun|Jens Mielke|Daniel E. Ball
An Evaluation of the Impact of Health Worker and Patient Education on the Care and Compliance of Patients with Epilepsy in Zimbabwe
University of Zimbabwe|University of Zimbabwe|University of Zimbabwe
use primary health care personnel identify cases epilepsy initiate simple treatment protocols advocated solution numeric inadequacy uneven distribution medical manpower available management epilepsy developing countries study sought evaluate effectiveness primary health care nurses diagnosis management epilepsy well impact patientinformation pamphlets drug compliance clinic attendance patients epilepsyprimary health care workers 24 clinics zvimba district zimbabwe attended workshop improving knowledge diagnosis management generalized tonicclonic seizures half clinics experimental group subsequently received patientinformation pamphlets distribution patients relatives whereas half control group frequency clinic attendance mean seizure frequencies mean serum levels phenobarbitone compared baseline 6 months intervention patients within group 6 months intervention groupscommunity health worker education led 74 increase patient recruitment well marked improvement patient drug compliance 6month study period use patientinformation pamphlets led marked reduction patient default clinic followup appear influence drug compliance seizure frequencythe benefits simple inexpensive interventions make strong case widespread implementation improved epilepsy care zimbabwe also developing countries