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Page B. Pennell, MD: Improving Epilepsy Care in 2020 and Beyond
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The president of the American Epilepsy Society and director of epilepsy research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital outlined the state of epilepsy care and what we can expect in 2020.
“Another area that I’ve really seen change over the year is a focus on the entire spectrum of epilepsy care. So it’s not just about treating the seizures, but more so about treating the patient.”
The 73rd annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES), which took place December 6-10, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland, included numerous symposia, special sessions, and workshops for epilepsy professionals. In an interview with NeurologyLive, Page B. Pennell, MD, president of AES, shared her feelings on the evolving epilepsy treatment landscape and the importance of a multidisciplinary care team.
Pennell, who is also professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of epilepsy research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, touched on a multitude of topics, including incorporating younger clinicians into the field earlier through EEG course workshops and increasing dialogues with sources outside of the epilepsy community to help transform epilepsy care.
This is especially relevant in caring for women with epilepsy, a topic that Pennell chose to center her presidential symposium on at the 2019 annual meeting. Communication and collaboration across different specialties is vital for the optimal treatment of women with epilepsy, especially during reproductive years.
In an interview with NeurologyLive, Pennell pinpointed some of the exciting advancements as well as the greatest needs in epilepsy as we set out into 2020.
For more coverage of AES 2019, click here.
