Patients From Most Rural Counties Have Worse Epilepsy Outcomes

THURSDAY, June 4, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Rurality is associated with worse epilepsy outcomes, although the associations are attenuated among privately insured patients, according to a study published online June 3 in Neurology.Edward R. Bader, M.B., Ch.B., from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using the National Inpatient Sample for 2016 to 2021 to examine the association between rurality and epilepsy outcomes.Data were included for 841,445 epilepsy admissions. The researchers found that compared with patients from the most urban counties, those from the most rural counties experienced significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality, presenting in status epilepticus, and prolonged length of stay (odds ratios, 1.93, 1.32, and 1.29, respectively). The odds of receiving electroencephalogram and nonroutine discharge were lower for the most rural patients (odds ratios, 0.88 and 0.90, respectively). The associations between rurality and mortality, presenting in status epilepticus, and prolonged length of stay were no longer observed when analyzing only patients with private insurance."The reduction in disparities among people with private insurance suggests that there may be other factors, not just where someone lives, that could be contributing to these differences," Bader said in a statement. "Our study highlights the need for additional research and public health efforts aimed at improving access to epilepsy care for people living in rural areas, which might include the expansion of telehealth services."Abstract/Full TextEditorial (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Patients From Most Rural Counties Have Worse Epilepsy Outcomes

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