Our work·Products we built
The risk changed between appointments. Nobody could see it.
Working with academic, charity and health partners, we led the research and development of EpSMon, a self-monitoring app that helps people with epilepsy recognise rising risk early. It was shown to have real-world impact, won national and international awards, and is commissioned by the NHS.
EpSMon. Digital solution development: an epilepsy risk reduction app.
What happened, and what came of it.
- Partners
- Academic, charity and health
- Role
- Led research and development
- Status
- Commissioned by the NHS for national use
- Awards
- National and international
Covered elsewhere, by the people who ran it with us.
EpSMon at SUDEP Action University of Plymouth on the HSJ Award University of Plymouth on the second BMJ Award The research record at Plymouth (PEARL) In the British Journal of General PracticePeople with epilepsy are advised to monitor their condition, health and wellbeing through regular meetings with their GP. In practice that is hard to achieve, and many people only manage an annual review.
Risk changes in the gap between appointments, and there was no way of seeing into that gap. Releasing an app that could was going to take varied research, with multiple stakeholders across the charity sector and the NHS.
We designed and delivered a series of projects exploring usability and efficacy, which led to peer-reviewed publications as well as awards.
The app lets people with epilepsy self-monitor their condition easily between GP epilepsy reviews, and prompts them when the pattern suggests risk is rising.
EpSMon was demonstrated to have a significant real-world impact. It was adopted in the sector and commissioned by the NHS for national use.
It has won multiple national and international awards, including BMJ Awards and the SUDEP Institute Challenge.
The published record
9 peer-reviewed papers.
The work behind this project, in the journals that reviewed it. Each one carries its DOI, so you can read it rather than take our word for it.
- 2015
Can technology help reduce risk of harm in patients with epilepsy?
British Journal of General Practice
doi:10.3399/bjgp15x686413 - 2015
Keeping patients with epilepsy safe: a surmountable challenge?
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports
doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208167.w3252 - 2016
Developing an evidence-based epilepsy risk assessment eHealth solution: from concept to market
JMIR Research Protocols
doi:10.2196/resprot.5389 - 2016
Safe and sound? A systematic literature review of seizure detection methods for personal use
Seizure
doi:10.1016/j.seizure.2016.01.013 - 2016
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: measures to reduce risk
Practical Neurology
doi:10.1136/practneurol-2016-001392 - 2018
Digital care in epilepsy: a conceptual framework for technological therapies
Frontiers in Neurology
doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00099 - 2019
Methods of usability testing in the development of eHealth applications: a scoping review
International Journal of Medical Informatics
doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2019.03.018 - 2020
Improving epilepsy management with EpSMon: a templar for the challenges of incorporating digital technologies into routine clinical practice
Epilepsy & Behavior
doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.106514 - 2023
Analysing patient-generated data to understand behaviours and characteristics of women with epilepsy of childbearing years
Seizure
doi:10.1016/j.seizure.2023.04.008
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