SUDEP Action

Making every epilepsy death count
Call us now on 01235 772850

Epilepsy safety app shortlisted for medical award


EpSMon or Epilepsy Self-Monitoring app has been shortlisted for a prestigious award from the British Medical Journal (BMJ). 
The awards are the UK’s premiere medical awards, recognising and celebrating the inspirational work of doctors and their teams. 

SUDEP Action, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and Plymouth University have been shortlisted in the category of Neurology Team of the Year for the development of the EpSMon app. 

The app’s development was supported by KT’s fund a charity set up in memory of Katie Hallet from Cornwall. Katie was a young nurse who died suddenly aged 20 from epilepsy.

Jane Hanna OBE from SUDEP Action commented: “This recognition of EpSMon as a finalist for this top national award for enhanced patient safety is really helpful. We hope that anyone with epilepsy can download this free App which helps them monitor their epilepsy. We owe it to Katie and all the other young people who have died to get the message out about EpSMon”

Learning of their shortlisting Dr Shankar said; “This is delightful news ... but I never forget that we owe it to our patients and those who succumbed to epilepsy.”
The app brings lifesaving information to the fingertips of adults with epilepsy. Its use has been likened to a person with hypertension monitoring their condition with a domestic blood pressure device. 

People with epilepsy are encouraged to attend regular reviews with their GP, but the reality is that this may only be once a year. EpSMon asks questions about a person’s seizures, medication and overall wellbeing. The app analyses the answers and makes a recommendation ranging from ‘all clear, no further action required’ to ‘make an appointment with your doctor now’. 

Information is also provided through the app on SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) and the factors which may affect risk.
There are more than 600,000 people with epilepsy in the UK, with 87 people diagnosed with the condition every day. Over 1,200 lives are claimed by epilepsy every year and over half of these are SUDEP. Research indicates that over 40% of these may be preventable through better management of risk factors.

The app is free through iTunes and the android version is due to be released in the near future. 

EpSMon is a digital version of the SUDEP and Seizure Safety Checklist, a tool which supports health professionals in monitoring, discussing and managing their patients’ epilepsy, risks and overall wellbeing. Information about the SUDEP and Seizure Safety Checklist can be found at www.sudep.org/checklist

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 5 May in Westminster. For more information on the awards visit www.thebmjawards.bmj.com