CHPPR Investigators Launch New Web-Based Epilepsy Support Tool

Investigators at the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research have developed MINDSETPlus, an accessible, web-based epilepsy support tool. MINDSETPlus is an updated and redesigned version of The Management Information Decision Support Epilepsy Tool (MINDSET) and will be launched and tested by Community Health Workers (CHWs) in clinical settings starting in early December 2021. 

“Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions,” said Ross Shegog, PhD. “Fortunately, there are a number of epilepsy self-management programs available to people with epilepsy. The challenge is how to connect patients to the appropriate programs, and that’s where MINDSETPlus comes in.”

Approximately 3.4 million people in the U.S. have epilepsy. Self-management programs can help people with epilepsy improve their seizure control, medication adherence, and other lifestyle factors. MINDSET was originally developed in 2009 as a decision support program that uses algorithms to identify patients’ needs within these domains and then helps patients select achievable goals and strategies to improve their self-management. The result is a tailored plan for people with epilepsy to use at home or at the clinic to engage in shared decision making with their health care provider. The tool has been demonstrated to have high degrees of usability, feasibility, and effectiveness.

The recent upsurge of telemedicine and long-distance consultations established the need for a program that could reach patients at a distance. MINDSETPlus was developed to combine the tailored, face-to-face approach of clinical interventions with the convenience and scalability of web-based applications. The updated tool uses web-responsive architecture accessible by people with epilepsy and health care providers through phone, tablet, or desktop.

MINDSETPlus also adds an enhanced recommendation feature that evaluates the client for additional factors that affect their epilepsy outcomes, like depression and memory loss, and their need for additional treatment programs. The new algorithms identify these factors and provide tailored recommendations to evidence-based programs from the Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Network to address them. These programs, specific to patients with epilepsy, include HOBSCOTCH, which addresses memory and attention problems, Project UPLIFT, which reduces depression and improves quality of life, and PACES, which provides more intensive epilepsy intervention.