Previously, EpilepsieNL, Kempenhaeghe, SEIN and the epilepsy working group of the Dutch Association for Neurology (NVN) jointly published a response to the decision of the Dutch Healthcare Institute to reject reimbursement for Nightwatch. The organizations find it incomprehensible that reimbursement has not yet been forthcoming, while international practical experience and scientific research support the effectiveness of the tool.
The four parties are now making an urgent appeal to health insurers to reimburse Nightwatch.
The report makes visible how great the need is to find a structural solution for the reimbursement of NightWatch. This aid can be of vital importance for people with epilepsy and their loved ones. Mother Joyce in Nieuwsuur: “You have to stay awake, you have to see attacks. With the arrival of Nightwatch, a world opened up for us, it is of vital importance. I could lie in my own bed again.”
In Nieuwsuur, Roland Thijs, neurologist and researcher at SEIN, explains: “We know that the attacks are dangerous and that you can die from them. We know that almost all attacks are detected by Nightwatch. The Dutch Healthcare Institute does not reimburse because there is no scientific evidence for preventing death. Doing that research is unethical, because you should then consciously not monitor a group of children and compare them with a group of children who you give Nightwatch. It’s simple: we have shown that the parachute does what it is supposed to do, so that almost all dangerous attacks are noticed. Then there is no need to find out how people who do not use a parachute are doing.”
Also Dr. Eveliene Hagenbeuk, pediatric neurologist at SEIN, emphasizes the importance of reimbursement in Nieuwsuur: “The income of parents should not matter whether someone with a higher income can buy the aid and someone with a lower income cannot. I want to be able to provide the best treatment to all children I treat.”
Laura M’Rabet from EpilepsieNL: “The story of Joyce and Niene shows that seizure detection such as Nightwatch is of vital importance. Parents do not have to stay awake all night in fear and get part of their lives back. As EpilepsieNL we continue to stand up for all people with epilepsy and together with Kempenhaeghe, SEIN and the epilepsy working group of the Dutch Association for Neurology (NVN), we continue to urge health insurers to reimburse Night watch.
