# Optimizing Care for Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $220,271

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Seizure freedom is an elusive goal for the vast majority of the 1,000,000 Americans with drug-resistant
epilepsy. While the primary goal of epilepsy treatment is seizure control, this is not achievable for most patients
with drug-resistant epilepsy. Yet pursuit of seizure freedom dominates epilepsy care, often with patients
unaware of the small likelihood of seizure freedom. Moreover, providers may assume that every patient’s top
goal is seizure freedom rather than other important determinants of quality of life, such as mental health or
cognitive function. This lack of clear patient-provider communication around individual patient priorities leads to
missed opportunities to improve patient-centered outcomes for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Priority
communication tools, which elicit patient priorities and support patient-provider goal setting around those
priorities, have improved patient-centered outcomes in other clinical contexts; but no such tools exist for
patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The objective of this application is to develop a mobile health priority
communication tool for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The central hypothesis is that the priority
communication tool can enhance patient-provider communication to align care priorities and ultimately improve
clinical outcomes for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Dr. Hill’s research and training goals will be
accomplished through the following specific aims: (1) To adapt a priority communication tool to enhance
patient-provider communication during clinic visits for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, and (2) To conduct
a clinical trial to assess whether patients who receive the tablet-based waiting room priority communication tool
have improved outcomes compared to patients who do not receive the tool. Findings from this study will define
parameters for a full-scale prospective randomized controlled trial (R01) testing the intervention’s effectiveness
to improve quality of life and clinical outcomes for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Dr. Hill has a strong
foundation in clinical epilepsy and health services research. She will develop further expertise in qualitative
data collection and analysis, stated preference methods, user-centered design of mobile health tools, and
clinical trial design. Her long-term goal is to become an independent clinician-investigator in the development
and testing of mobile health communication tools to facilitate patient-centered care and thereby improve
outcomes for neurology patients. This proposal capitalizes on the unique strengths of the University of
Michigan, the Neurology Health Services Research Program and the Institute for Healthcare Policy and
Innovation, and an exceptional multidisciplinary mentorship team.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10750996
- **Project number:** 5K23NS126495-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Chloe E Hill
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $220,271
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-12-15 → 2027-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10750996

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10750996, Optimizing Care for Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy (5K23NS126495-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10750996. Licensed CC0.

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