In Ontario, about 30 percent of people with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite optimal drug treatment. Good evidence shows surgery is an effective and safe option to try to control the number of seizures for some patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Patients are carefully selected for surgery on the basis of the frequency, location and type of their seizures.
Health Quality Ontario Reviews Epilepsy Care
The Programs for Assessment of Technology in Health Research Institute performed a field evaluation with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto to explore the barriers to accessing epilepsy surgery. Subsequently, an Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee Expert Panel on a Provincial Strategy for Epilepsy Care in Ontario was created. This panel developed recommendations for a provincial strategy for epilepsy care.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has accepted this recommendation.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided the following response: The Ministry provided additional based funding for epilepsy care in 2012/13.