The University of Liverpool are leading on an international research study to find out the most important outcomes for the treatment of adults with epilepsy.


The Problem

In current epilepsy research, the choice of outcomes measured varies widely, particularly in clinical trials. This difference in outcome measurement leads to research waste and difficulty combining and comparing results from different studies. It is also unclear whether the outcomes currently being measured in research are relevant to people with epilepsy.

The EPSET study needs your help to find out what outcomes are so important that they should always be measured in studies for adults with epilepsy. We call these the Core Outcome Set (COS).

Our solution - a Core Outcome Set specific to adults with epilepsy

A Core Outcome Set (COS) is a standardised list of outcomes that should be reported as a minimum in all clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of treatments. It is developed using consensus methods to ensure that it includes what is important to patients as well as healthcare professionals and researchers from around the world.

If all future studies looking at treatments for adults with epilepsy measure these core outcomes, and measure them in similar ways, the results of the studies can be easily compared and combined. This may help new, effective treatments become available to patients more quickly. This may benefit all patients with epilepsy in the long term.

At present, no Core Outcome Set (COS) exists for adults with epilepsy.