NHS Scotland is spearheading a nationwide pilot of a new video-sharing system which is revolutionising the way epilepsy is diagnosed.

Epilepsy is the world’s most common serious neurological disorder, however, between 25-50% of people are misdiagnosed and many more go years before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

With the pandemic exacerbating diagnosis challenges, Scottish neurologists are spearheading a pilot of vCreate Neuro – a secure video service that allows registered patients and carers to upload footage of suspected epileptic seizures via a secure NHS-trusted system.

These videos are rapidly assessed by neurology teams, bypassing the need for face-to-face appointments and lengthy wait times, and often result in a speedy diagnosis. The system is currently being piloted across Scotland and England following its initial success,

Since May 2020, more than 2000 families have shared over 5000 videos with their clinical teams across the platform.

Dean MacLeod, from the Isle of Lewis, was referred to the service when her seven-year-old daughter, Olivia, began having unknown movements in May 2020.

She uploaded videos of Olivia which were reviewed by paediatric neurology professionals at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Supported with telephone appointment, this meant Olivia could be diagnosed with a form of epilepsy and quickly started on treatment.

Dean said: “I’ve found vCreate to be invaluable in Olivia’s journey since she started having seizures last summer. We live in a remote location and we have a very limited paediatric service on the island. The service has made it easy to access the specialist clinical knowledge.

“Since the diagnosis, I have kept in regular contact with the clinical team through the platform, sending videos and typically receiving advice from a consultant within 24 hours which is fantastic.

“Between the vCreate service and telephone discussions, our family has not needed to have face-to-face consultations which has been hugely beneficial during the pandemic.”

Professor Sameer Zuberi, consultant paediatric neurologist at the Glasgow hospital said: “vCreate Neuro has transformed how we use carer-recorded video in our service. We are diagnosing epilepsy more rapidly, preventing misdiagnosis and saving unnecessary investigations. Families feel in more control and better connected to the service.”

Dr Jay Shetty, consultant paediatric neurologist at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, said: “This service has significantly helped us by allowing us to review videos sent by families alongside crucial clinical information. We are now able to diagnose with more speed and accuracy, reducing hospital visits and tests and improving our communication with patients.

“This platform allows clinicians to collaborate, teach and conduct research to improve patient care.”