Improvement of health care for headache patients with a regional pain management network

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • F. Elsner - , Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (Autor:in)
  • B. Sonntag - , Universität zu Köln (Autor:in)
  • L. Radbruch - , Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (Autor:in)
  • R. Sabatowski - , Universität zu Köln (Autor:in)

Abstract

A pain management network with pain specialists and general practitioners was established in Cologne to examine and improve the structures of outpatient headache management. The project was divided into an analysis of pain management (P1; one year) and a second phase (P2; two years) with interventions like consultations and education. Eighty physicians working in general practice participated. Patients' and physicians' data on pain and treatment were documented three times (T1, T2, T3) within 12 weeks. Differences in pain relief and quality of life were compared between P1 and P2. Most of the outcome parameters were improved in T2. These changes were more evident in P2. In P2, physicians increasingly used headache diaries and recommended psychotherapy. Triptans were prescribed more frequently for migraine and antidepressants for tension-type headache. The network provided an improvement in outpatient health care of headache patients.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)417-420
Seitenumfang4
FachzeitschriftPain Clinic
Jahrgang16
Ausgabenummer4
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 2004
Peer-Review-StatusJa
Extern publiziertJa

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Headache, Health care improvement, IMS-criteria, Regional network