eHealth as a Facilitator of Precision Medicine in Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition that affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. Current treatments are inadequate and around a third of patients continue to experience uncontrolled seizures. The genetic architecture of many of the epilepsies makes them amenable to next-generation sequencing technologies, enabling a molecular diagnosis in an increasing proportion of patients. As a result, rare but remarkable examples of precision therapeutics in epilepsy are emerging. Coordinated research efforts are required to increase the diagnostic yield of sequencing and translate diagnosis to improved prognosis. This review explores the potential of eHealth technologies in facilitating and accelerating precision therapeutics in epilepsy. We describe the state of the art in precision diagnostics and therapeutics in epilepsy and identify opportunities for eHealth to accelerate the realisation of precision therapeutics via patient registries, research-enabled electronic health records, and connected health solutions.