Journal article
The use of computer-assisted-telephone-interviewing to diagnose seizures, epilepsy and Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy
WJ D'Souza, J Stankovich, TJ O'Brien, S Bower, N Pearce, MJ Cook
Epilepsy Research | ELSEVIER | Published : 2010
Abstract
Background: Computer-assisted-telephone-interviewing (CATI), widely used in market research, could be a useful alternative for conducting diagnostic interviews in epilepsy epidemiology. Methods: We administered a diagnostic seizure questionnaire by CATI, interpreting the responses with standardized classification guidelines, compared against an epilepsy specialist's assessment, for agreement [Kappa statistic (κ)], sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Youden's Index (YI). Results: 99 outpatients with 382 lifetime events participated: 22 generalized-onset epilepsy [16 Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (IGE)], 59 partial-onset epilepsy, 12 non-epilept..
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Funding Acknowledgements
Wendyl D'Souza was supported from a Pfizer Alfred a St. Vincent's Hospital Electrophysiology Fellowship, St. Vincent's Hospital Neuro-epidemiology Fellowship and FRACP GSK Fellowship in Neurology. The Centre for Public Health Research is supported by a Programme Grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. We would like to thank Ruth Ottman for providing an electronic version of the epilepsy diagnostic interview used with modifications in this study; Nadia Farrell, Linda Seiderer, Lucas Litewka, Graeme Gonzales and Natasha Willems from St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Neurophysiology Department for conducting the telephone interviewing; and Charlotte McKercher and Jayne Fryer, from the Menzies Research Institute, for performing the data cleaning and questionnaire mapping. We confirm that we have read the Journal's position on issues involved in ethical publication and affirm that this report is consistent with those guidelines.