Disparities in Health and Outcomes for People with Epilepsy
Using some of the largest and most diverse data on people living with epilepsy, I seek to uncover disparities in comorbidities, multimorbidity, and outcomes while further applying statistical approaches to uncover important drivers of these disparities. Specifically, I use a combination of both traditional and novel statistical techniques in the context of health equity research frameworks to understand nuance and complexities in relationships between individual, treatment, and community-level factors. It is my hope that this work can guide interventions and improve care for people living with epilepsy. This work is done in collaboration with neurologists, psychiatrists, family medicine physicians, health equity experts, and mathematicians,

Wyatt P. Bensken, PhD
Research Investigator & Adjunct Assistant Professor of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
My research interests include health disparities, health inequities, social determinants of health, and complex chronic conditions.
Publications
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Antiseizure Medications Among People With Epilepsy on Medicaid: A Case of Potential Inequities
The Significance of the Increased Incidence of New Onset Seizures and Epilepsy After a COVID-19 Infection
A Framework for Health Equity in People Living with Epilepsy
Trends in Antiseizure Medication Use: Implications for Practice and Clinical Care
Inconsistent Medicaid Coverage is Associated with Negative Health Events for People with Epilepsy
Objective. Examine the association between gaps in Medicaid coverage and negative health events (NHEs) for people with epilepsy (PWE). …
Burden of Chronic and Acute Conditions and Symptoms in People With Epilepsy
Objective: People with epilepsy, one-third of whom in the US are on Medicaid, experience a wide range of chronic and physical …
Markers of Quality Care for Newly Diagnosed People With Epilepsy on Medicaid
Background: For newly diagnosed people with epilepsy (PWE), proper treatment is important to improve outcomes, yet limited data exist …
Delays and disparities in diagnosis for adults with epilepsy: Findings from U.S. Medicaid data
Objective: To identify disparities in care pathways and time from first seizure to epilepsy diagnosis, we examined 2010–2014 Medicaid …