Redefining Outcomes: A Closer Look at Life with Pediatric Epilepsy with Farheen Ahmed
Article By: Sama ayoub
A physician's expertise goes beyond their clinical knowledge, such that, behind every clinical diagnosis is a person navigating their own life, which is often overshadowed by their medical charts. This becomes even more difficult among pediatric patients who are enduring illness throughout their formative years of life. Accordingly, Farheen Ahmed, a medical student at WCM-Q, has dedicated her time to research on understanding the quality of life for pediatric epilepsy patients, focusing on medical and psychosocial factors that shape not just outcomes, but everyday life.
The study, conducted at Sidra Medicine, found that children with epilepsy had a better quality of life when their seizures were controlled, attended school regularly, had fewer health complications, and were on a single medication. In contrast, those with early seizure onset, multiple medications, frequent seizures, or a history of surgery tended to have a lower quality of life. Older children also faced more challenges with mood, sleep, and cognitive function. Overall findings suggest that care must go beyond seizure control alone to also focus on the broader emotional and developmental needs of each child.
Furthering the impact of her findings, Farheen presented her research at the 4th Annual Pediatric Neuroscience Conference hosted by Sidra Medicine in partnership with the Children's National Hospital (USA), which focused on improving the care of children diagnosed with neurological conditions. The conference recognized Farheen Ahmed's presentation of her research poster titled, "Understanding the Medical and Psychosocial Drivers of Quality of Life in Pediatric Epilepsy – A Cross-Sectional Study," as the awardee of best poster, recognizing its deep understanding of the impact of illness on daily lives.
Reflecting on the experience, Farheen said,
““I was honored to present at the Pediatric Neuroscience Conference, especially on a topic that is very important for my future patients and central to my field. As an incoming child neurology resident, contributing to the conversation around quality of life in pediatric epilepsy felt deeply meaningful. The conference was incredibly informative, bringing together global experts and offering valuable insights that I will carry with me into residency and beyond.” ”
Her achievement is a testament to how exploring and researching compassionate and effective clinical practice is as vital as furthering our research of the medical conditions themselves.
