Addressing Cultural Barriers to Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy in Hispanic Communities

Epilepsy affects the quality of life of patients in the Hispanic community physically, socially, and psychologically1,2 and is associated with the outcome of the disease and their prognosis. The recurrence risk after a first seizure of untreated patients is 40% within 2 years.3 Hispanic communities...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArchives of neurology (Chicago) Vol. 76; no. 2; p. 137
Main Authors Musto, Alberto E, Rutherford, April, Malek, Daniel
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Medical Association 01.02.2019
Subjects
Communities
Epilepsy
Health care
Health risks
Hispanic people
Medical diagnosis
Patients
Quality of life
Seizures
Target markets
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Summary:Epilepsy affects the quality of life of patients in the Hispanic community physically, socially, and psychologically1,2 and is associated with the outcome of the disease and their prognosis. The recurrence risk after a first seizure of untreated patients is 40% within 2 years.3 Hispanic communities with low income may lack knowledge about seizures and have false perceptions about epilepsy.4 Hispanic populations with less than a high school education may be likely to believe that epilepsy is contagious or is a sin, perceiving that an exorcism would be a good remedy for epilepsy.2 These perceptions can lead to poor self-efficacy of patients with epilepsy, a perceived stigma because of their condition, and negative outcomes in their health care.
ISSN:2168-6149
2168-6157
DOI:10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.3919