Referral to a Functional Seizures Clinic Reduces Inpatient and Emergency Department Health Care Utilization and Costs

Abstract

Background and Objectives: People with functional seizures (FSs) experience high health care utilization and costs revolving around the emergency department (ED). Overall, appropriate treatment of FS is underused, and better care pathways are associated with lower ED reattendance. Our objective was to assess changes in total ED and inpatient visits and costs before and after referral to a specialized, comprehensive FS treatment clinic. Methods: We collected data from 100 consecutive patients referred to the University of Colorado (CU) FS Clinic between July 2019 and December 2021. Hospital account data were obtained directly from the electronic health record. Total ED and inpatient visits, charges, and payments 1 year before and 1 year after referral were collected and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: = 0.02). Discussion: Referral to a specialized FS clinic is associated with reduced health care utilization and costs. This proof-of-concept study reveals that hospitals should implement policies to support efficient care pathways to comprehensive FS treatment programs with potential for cost savings.