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Primary health care and epilepsy: literature review

INTRODUCTION: The primary health care (PHC) makes possible the best health care coverage and also the care to the people with epilepsy (PWE). OBJECTIVES: To present evolutionary-conceptual aspects of PHC, their medical education implications, and the use of the telemedicine with repercussions in the PWE care. METHODOLOGY: Narrative review with the presented objectives. RESULTS: People usually cared by family doctors are healthier, mainly due to the holistic approach; major health prevention emphasis and reduction of costs for seeking the specialists' attention just when necessary. Medical education and medicine labor market are gradually adapting to this health care profile. At the same time family doctors admit they are unprepared to care PWE it has been found out there are not enough neurologists to the appraisal and follow up of these clients. Telemedicine shows potential for distance health teaching, consulting and staff qualification helping to reduce the mentioned constraints. CONCLUSION: PWE care proposals in the Health Care System: formal training of the professionals' of PHC team, doctors' intermediate specialists and trained nurses creation, increasing of the resources of the telemedicine what can guarantee the quality of health care and provision of better integration of the system of health care.

Epilepsy; health; primary health care; medical education; telemedicine


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