Capabilities and Limitations of Seizure Apps: Jessica Fesler, MD, MEd

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

"Seizure apps are not used widespread by a lot of people. One of the reviews out there that looked at the most commonly used apps in 2018 showed that they were downloaded by about 10,000 people, which sounds like a lot, but not when you think about the 50 million people with epilepsy."

Typically, patients with epilepsy are asked to manage their disorder themselves, and self-management is often encouraged. Mobile health applications, specifically seizure apps, have become a great tool for these patients to track seizures and adhere to treatment regimens. Although there has been a steady rise in the number of these services, there is still no single app considered the standard or that is widely used by the space.

Jessica Fesler, MD, MEd, staff epileptologist, Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, has been an expert in the field at understanding how to get the most out of these apps, but also harping on the continual need to improve the technology available. At the recently concluded 2021 American Epilepsy Society (AES) annual meeting, held December 3-7, in Chicago, Illinois, she delivered a talk that addressed these apps and where they could be more useful.

She sat down with NeurologyLive® at the meeting to discuss the pros and cons of current seizure apps, from the high accessibility they provide to the low social capabilities between patients. Fesler also harped on how there is no comprehensive “one-stop shop” app that has all the functionalities needed.