An evidence based change proposal for the implementation of a clinical pathway for first seizure in a district general hospital

Newman, Karla Louise (2017) An evidence based change proposal for the implementation of a clinical pathway for first seizure in a district general hospital. Masters dissertation, University of Cumbria. Item availability may be restricted.

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Abstract

A first seizure, if incorrectly diagnosed or left untreated, could lead to further more severe debilitating seizures, resulting in complicated epilepsy and even death (Turner and Benger, 2009). Conversely first seizure has been identified as one of the ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC), which can be treated safely and efficiently within an acute ambulatory emergency care setting (Blunt, 2013). The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provide clear recommendation guidelines for the diagnosis, management and treatment of epilepsy (NICE, 2012). However current practice within the local district hospital, where I work, has led to a number of inconsistencies in the delivery of these guidelines, resulting in an increased number of potentially avoidable inpatient admissions and recurrent A+E attendances. Not surprisingly this has had financial and logistical implications for the NHS trust and potentially suboptimal care provisions for patients. Subsequently, producing an agreed plan or document that provides clinicians with current evidenced based information plus well-defined succinct methods of delivering standardised treatment, has multiple advantages for patients, medical professionals and hospital trusts overall. Clinical pathways have been utilised successfully in a number of clinical areas within the NHS for a number of years (Rotter et al, 2012). Consequently the proposed introduction of a first seizure pathway has the potential to reduce the number of unnecessary admissions, therefore appears to be the next appropriate step in ensuring a secure and fixed approach to changing current practice.

Item Type:	Thesis/Dissertation (Masters)
Departments:	Academic Departments > Nursing, Health & Professional Practice (NHPP)
Additional Information:	This dissertation is submitted in part fulfilment for the MSc Advanced Practice in Health and Social Care.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	13 Oct 2017 10:57
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 18:16
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/3304