Pregnant woman with phone

Epilepsy is a common medical condition in women of reproductive age. Epilepsy can lead to unprovoked seizures that increase the chance of seriously injuring or killing individuals, while the triggers can vary widely from person to person. Sadly, antiseizure drugs taken by pregnant women can increase the risk of babies being born with physical abnormalities. To mitigate risks in pregnancy, women and healthcare professionals struggle to make informed decisions about their care and treatments. This sometimes leads to underestimating the risk of harm from seizures and a lack of appropriate advice and support.

Digital technologies, such as the Epilepsy Self-Monitoring (EpSMon) app, allow patients with epilepsy to generate their own risk assessment data and record engagements with their GP about their health, diagnosis, and medication events via smartphones. Collaborating with the charity SUDEP Action and SUVO company, Professor Shang-Ming Zhou and his team are using patient self-generated data via EpSMon to identify the risks and health outcomes of childbearing women. Through this research, they will gain an understanding of how digital technologies might be used to improve the wellbeing of expectant mothers who suffer from seizures.

Centre for Health Technology

Bringing together digital health and health technology expertise from across the University to drive the development, evaluation and implementation of innovative technologies, products, services and approaches to transform health and social care.

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Online tele medicine isometric concept. Medical consultation and treatment via application of smartphone connected internet clinic.