Useful knowledge on social security and driver’s licensing system concerning epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is a complicated disease characterized by markedly dissociated conditions of seizure and non-seizure periods, long disease duration, and various intellectual disabilities and diverse psychiatric comorbidities. It is very important to provide an appropriate treatment based on a correct diagnosis of epilepsy, and to provide helpful guidance and advice for various issues in the patients’ life. To that end, it is necessary to understand to some extent not only the medical knowledge on epilepsy but also complicated laws and institutions concerning epilepsy. The social security system consists of social insurance, social welfare, public aid, and medical and public health. In terms of support for patients with epilepsy, we need to be more familiar with medical care that supports independence, the disability certificate system, disability support classification, disability pension, and an employment system for persons with disabilities, etc. Tragic car accidents caused by epileptic seizures have happened repeatedly, raising public opinion against driving by patients with epilepsy. Reflecting such a situation, relevant laws and regulations are quite changeable, which necessitates an update of the knowledge about the driver’s licensing system. By understanding these laws and institutions well, we need to protect not only our patients but also ourselves.