Real-world user experience with seizure detection wearable devices in the home environment

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate direct user experience with wearable seizure detection devices in the home environment.

Methods: A structured online questionnaire was completed by 242 users (175 caregivers and 67 persons with epilepsy), most of the patients (87.19%) having tonic-clonic seizures.

Results: The vast majority of the users were overall satisfied with the wearable device, considered that using the device was easy, and agreed that the use of the device improved their quality of life (median = 6 on 7-point Likert scale). A high retention rate (84.58%) and a long median usage time (14 months) were reported. In the home environment, most users (75.85%) experienced seizure detection sensitivity similar (≥95%) to what was previously reported in validation studies in epilepsy monitoring units. The experienced false alarm rate was relatively low (0-0.43 per day). Due to the alarms, almost one third of persons with epilepsy (PWEs; 30.00%) experienced decrease in the number of seizure-related injuries, and almost two thirds of PWEs (65.41%) experienced improvement in the accuracy of seizure diaries. Nonvalidated devices had significantly lower retention rate, overall satisfaction, perceived sensitivity, and improvement in quality of life, as compared with validated devices.

Significance: Our results demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of automated seizure detection in the home environment.

Keywords: automated seizure detection; epilepsy; user experience; wearable devices.