Cross sectional study of reporting of epileptic seizures to general practitioners

Objective Comparison of reporting of recent epileptic seizures by patients to a doctor and anonymously. Design Cross sectional study of patients with epilepsy by comparison of pai red questionnaires. Setting Rural and urban general practices in Norfolk. Participants 122 patients aged over 16 years and able to self complete a qu estionnaire who were recruited by 31 general practitioners when attending f or review of their epilepsy. Main outcome measure The difference in reported occurrence of seizure to ge neral practitioners and in a linked anonymous questionnaire. Results 18 patients failed to report a seizure in the past year to their ge neral practitioner (uncontrolled epilepsy). 40% (24/60) of people with epil epsy who anonymously reported a seizure in the past year held a driving lic ence, but only six revealed this to their general practitioner. The unemplo yment rate was 34%, substantially higher than the 9% in the general populat ion. Measures of anxiety, depression and stigmatisation were higher in pati ents with uncontrolled epilepsy. Conclusions A significant proportion of patients with epilepsy underreport their seizures. Recognition of underreporting is important if patients are to benefit from adequate and appropriate treatment. General practitioners' ability to treat epilepsy is hampered by their role in regulating the right s of epileptic patients to hold a driving licence or access certain occupat ions.