EpiTRAQ in Future Epilepsy Research Studies
Sucheta M. Joshi, MD, MS, and Nicholas Beimer, MD, outline how EpiTRAQ may be incorporated in future studies and what outcomes may be observed.
"We are hoping that it will be something that can be integrated into electronic medical records. Therefore, will be a tool that clinicians can use longitudinally to track performance and their own management of epilepsy over time.”
EpiTRAQ’s validity as a resourceful transition readiness assessment tool for patients with epilepsy who are transitioning to adult care during their adolescent years was recently proven by multiple repeated validation tests in a study published in August. While the study outlines the reliability of the tool, it mainly served as groundwork for future studies that may use EpiTRAQ to their advantage.
To date, there is no data on clinical outcomes or long-term outcomes of how patients on EpiTRAQ handle disease management in comparison to those not on the tool. Additionally, there aren’t any data on how this tool may impact different populations, or how results may vary based on gender or race. Sucheta M. Joshi, MD, MS, FAES, FAAP, and Nicholas Beimer, MD, investigators in the study, feel as though there is untapped potential with EpiTRAQ and admitted there is future research on the horizon.
In an interview with NeurologyLive, Joshi, a clinical professor of pediatrics and medical director of pediatric epilepsy, and Beimer, an assistant professor of epilepsy, both at Michigan Medicine, discussed how the tool can open the door for more clinical research that examines the effects of a smooth transition process. In addition, the 2 touched on what adjustments they would make to the tool for future studies.
