For epilepsy, it’s PERSONAL

Alfred Health is the lead site of PERSONAL, a trial where clinicians consult a newly developed AI model to assist in prescribing the most effective epilepsy medication possible. 

“Epilepsy is notoriously tricky to prescribe for,” Professor Kwan said.  

“Doctors need to assess a really broad range of factors and when they’re so numerous, some of it inevitably gets overlooked.” 

In addition to this, Professor Kwan said it’s fairly common for there to be different treatment options available for the same condition.  

“We come up against similar roadblocks when it comes to prescribing for depression, multiple sclerosis and diabetes,” Professor Kwan said. 

“Hence the need to develop a model which can assist clinicians and take away the remaining guesswork.” 

Trial participants are split into two groups and paired with a doctor. The first group’s doctor prescribes epilepsy medicine assisted by the AI model, the other without. Participants are not aware of which group they are in. The progress of both groups is then followed for 12 months. Findings from the trial will be used to further develop the model to improve accuracy. 

“We’ve had much enthusiasm from patients which has kept recruitment for the trial strong,” Professor Kwan said.  

“It’s encouraging to hear from patients who are excited, not just about participating in the trial, but of its broader goals too.” 

You can read more about the PERSONAL trial here.