TABLE 1.
Population description (N = 21 458)
| Characteristic | Median or n (IQR or %) |
|---|---|
| Year of first antiseizure medication fill | |
| 2014 | 4958 (23%) |
| 2015 | 5568 (26%) |
| 2016 | 5594 (26%) |
| 2017 | 5338 (25%) |
| Age, years | 72 (61–81) |
| Female sex | 11 740 (55%) |
| Race | |
| White | 16 434 (79%) |
| Black | 3487 (17%) |
| Hispanic | 617 (3%) |
| Asian | 343 (2%) |
| Dual eligible for Medicaid | 12 874 (60%) |
| Rural ZIP code | 5923 (28%) |
| Reason for entitlement | |
| Age | 15 108 (70%) |
| Disability | 6248 (29%) |
| End‐stage renal disease | 253 (1%) |
| Region | |
| South | 8531 (42%) |
| Midwest | 4867 (24%) |
| Northeast | 3720 (18%) |
| West | 3431 (17%) |
| Epilepsy type | |
| Focal | 4595 (21%) |
| Generalized | 3582 (17%) |
| Both | 1381 (6%) |
| Unclassified | 11 900 (55%) |
| Comorbidities | |
| Cardiac arrest | 517 (2%) |
| Dementia | 7251 (34%) |
| Intracranial hemorrhage | 2997 (14%) |
| Ischemic stroke | 8332 (39%) |
| Meningoencephalitis | 524 (2%) |
| Mood disorder | 7219 (34%) |
| Mood disorder in prior year | 4128 (19%) |
| Traumatic brain injury | 1742 (8%) |
| Tumor, CNS | 852 (4%) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | |
| 0 | 4096 (19%) |
| 1–3 | 10 008 (47%) |
| 4–6 | 5270 (25%) |
| 7+ | 2084 (10%) |
| Unique medications, n | 13 (9–18) |
| Acute care visits | |
| 0 | 2253 (10%) |
| 1 | 4792 (22%) |
| 2+ | 14 413 (67%) |
| Any neurologist visit | 16 525 (77%) |
| Neurologist as primary ASM prescriber | 5513 (31%) |
Patient variables refer to the year when each beneficiary filled their first antiseizure medication (2014–2017) unless otherwise stated.
Abbreviations: ASM, antiseizure medication; CNS, central nervous system; IQR, interquartile range.