The development of a questionnaire to assess knowledge of epilepsy: 1--General knowledge of epilepsy.

It is well documented that knowledge is a vital factor in the ability to cope successfully with epilepsy. Misconceptions and deficits in knowledge have implications not only for psychosocial well-being but also for medical compliance. However, at present there is no commonly accepted objective measure of knowledge of epilepsy. The development of the Epilepsy Knowledge Profile--General (E.K.P.--G) is presented in this paper. Fifty-five true/false items (34 medical knowledge items, 21 social knowledge items) were selected by a range of experts in the field of epilepsy. A clinical trial of the questionnaire was then completed by 82 people with epilepsy attending a city centre outpatient clinic. Results indicated that the scale has both good internal reliability and test-retest reliability. Also the range of scores indicates that it is sensitive to differences in knowledge. Potential uses of the questionnaire are discussed.