Improving access to epilepsy care in western Kenya
Bridging the Treatment Gap by Expanding Access to Care for People with Epilepsy in Kenya (BEACON)
A program that trains local health workers and uses a digital patient-tracking system to help people with epilepsy in western Kenya start and keep taking seizure medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166475 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, your clinic care would be provided by trained local staff who share epilepsy care tasks under specialist supervision. Your medical information would be entered into an Epilepsy Medical Record System so staff can track visits and follow up when you miss appointments. The team will support starting and staying on antiseizure medication and monitor seizure outcomes and safety. The work is focused on hospitals and clinics in western Kenya and aims to make care more reachable and reliable for patients like you.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People aged 12 years and older in western Kenya who have epilepsy or are prescribed antiseizure medications and need better access to follow-up care are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who live outside western Kenya, children under 12, or those whose epilepsy requires highly specialized tertiary care may not benefit directly from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase clinic follow-up and medication adherence, leading to fewer seizures, injuries, and better quality of life for people with epilepsy in the region.
How similar studies have performed: Task-sharing and digital patient-tracking approaches have improved care in other low-resource settings, though applying them to epilepsy in western Kenya is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Indianapolis, United States
- Indiana University Indianapolis — Indianapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Von Gaudecker, Jane — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Von Gaudecker, Jane
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.