A National Plan for the Epilepsies will give us a clear, direct, shared path toward a better future for people living with the epilepsies.
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A National Plan is passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. It gets everyone moving in the same direction by developing a framework and roadmap for collaboration – providing clear vision and direction, ensuring the efficient use of resources, promoting sustainable and equitable progress, and fostering good governance.
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Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Autism, ALS, and MS all have National Plans. (Epilepsy is the only common neurological disorder without one.)
Their plans have resulted in:
Increased funding for targeted research
Identified biomarkers to expedite diagnosis
Tailored treatments individualized to patients
Established data tracking systems to accurately report disease trends
Improved and expanded training for healthcare providers
Supported caregiver and community-based programming
Funded awareness campaigns to educate and reduce stigma
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Reduce epilepsy-related mortality from all causes
Improve the detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the epilepsies and co-existing conditions
Decrease socioeconomic, racial, geographic, and other disparities in care
Increase the breadth and depth of epilepsy research
Expand national surveillance (data collection) to capture the magnitude and diversity of the epilepsies
Enhance public awareness and engagement
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The introduction and passage of a National Plan requires extensive education on Capitol Hill. We must collectively spread the word about the impact of the epilepsies on patients, the burden on families, and the cost to our economy and already overloaded healthcare system. Once a bill is introduced, advocates work to build widespread bipartisan support for the bill. Upon passage, ALL epilepsies stakeholders work together to draft the plan.
