AAN 2021 | The Ontario Epilepsy Network: improving epilepsy care and surgery availability

O. Carter Snead, MD, FAAN, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, describes the system-wide restructuring of epilepsy services over the last decade that has transformed epilepsy care in Ontario. The Ontario Epilepsy Network is a unique partnership between the government, caregivers, and patients, established to address the insufficient numbers of epilepsy surgery candidates receiving surgery. A system consisting of a series of regional and district epilepsy centers, each with specified catchment areas, was set up. Additionally, Project ECHO, a knowledge translation program using teleconferencing to connect specialist multidisciplinary teams at academic health centers to community healthcare providers, was created for epilepsy. The number of patients assessed for surgery and the number of patients receiving surgery dramatically increased following the set up of the Ontario Epilepsy network. This interview took place during the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2021 Annual Meeting.