Addressing Disparities in Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Access

Source: Epilepsia

Summary

This study looked at how different factors affect the journey of young people with epilepsy who might need surgery. Researchers examined data from 1,309 patients under 18 years old in the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium. They focused on three key stages: getting referred for surgery evaluation, being offered surgery, and actually completing the surgery. The study also considered social factors like race, ethnicity, and insurance type.

The findings showed that most patients referred for surgery were White, male, and had private insurance. While there were no significant differences in being offered surgery based on race or sex, it was found that White patients were more likely to complete the surgery compared to Black patients. Additionally, youth with certain brain lesions were more likely to be offered surgery, and those from historically marginalized backgrounds were often underrepresented in the referral process.

These results highlight important gaps in access to epilepsy surgery for young people, especially for those from diverse backgrounds. It suggests that efforts should focus on improving how youth are referred for surgery evaluations to ensure everyone has equal opportunities. However, the study also has limitations, such as not fully representing all demographics of youth with epilepsy in the U.S., which means more work is needed to understand and address these disparities at all stages of the surgical journey.

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