Headache Management: New Tool for Primary Care
- MINNEAPOLIS - Integrating an evidence-based headache management template into electronic health records can improve documentation adn physician confidence in primary care settings.
- Makayla Fikrat, a doctoral student at the University of Vermont, presented the findings at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting.
- The researchers aimed to ensure patients receive quality care while awaiting specialist appointments, or even to provide complete care at the primary care level.
Boost headache management in primary care settings with a new, evidence-based template. This innovative tool,integrated into electronic health records,is transforming how physicians approach headache management and significantly boosts physician confidence. A recent study highlights how the template improved documentation rates by over 15% and increased the likelihood of counseling patients on modifiable lifestyle factors. Learn how this template is bridging the gap between primary care and neurology, especially beneficial for patients facing extended wait times for specialist appointments, and explore the impact of incorporating elements like headache frequency and lifestyle modifications. News Directory 3 sheds light on how this tool streamlines information, enhancing treatment for headache patients and providing quality care. The implementation of headache templates doubled the documentation of headache frequency. Discover what’s next …
Template Improves Headache Management in Primary Care Settings
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MINNEAPOLIS – Integrating an evidence-based headache management template into electronic health records can improve documentation adn physician confidence in primary care settings. A study in northern New England found that such a tool helped bridge the gap between primary care and neurology, especially for patients facing long wait times for specialist appointments.
Makayla Fikrat, a doctoral student at the University of Vermont, presented the findings at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting. She noted that in Vermont, the wait time to see a neurologist can exceed a year.
The researchers aimed to ensure patients receive quality care while awaiting specialist appointments, or even to provide complete care at the primary care level. They recognized that rural patients often face significant travel challenges to reach neurology centers.
Fikrat and her team implemented a template and provided American headache society-based education to primary care physicians. This initiative sought to streamline information and enhance treatment for headache patients.
The study, conducted in three phases from mid-2024 to December 2024 at the University of Vermont student health clinic, involved 12 primary care providers. The initial phase included needs assessments and focus groups to incorporate evidence-based elements,such as headache frequency and lifestyle modification factors,into an existing template.
The template included sections for providers to inquire about sleep, hydration, and stress management. Interventions from the Association of Migraine Disorders were also incorporated, including prescribing references.
The second phase involved data collection and a provider survey assessing confidence in managing headache disorders,likelihood of documenting headache frequency,and counseling patients on modifiable lifestyle factors. This phase also included the live implementation of the updated template and an hour-long educational session using American Headache Society materials.
The final phase included post-survey data collection and chart audits.
The results showed a 51% template usage rate across 69 headache visits during the 12-week intervention. Documentation of headache frequency increased from 17.6% to 34.2%. Template usage peaked in October 2024 at 70.37% before declining in subsequent months.
Surveys revealed increases in provider confidence in managing headache, from 3.3 to 4.3 on a mean average response scale. The likelihood of counseling patients on lifestyle modifications increased from 4.6 to 4.9, and the likelihood of documenting headache frequency rose from 4 to 4.6.
provider confidence increased by 30%. There was a 6.5% increase in the likelihood of counseling patients on modifiable lifestyle factors and a 15% increase in documenting headache frequency. Fikrat emphasized the impact of embedding headache frequency documentation into the template,which nearly doubled with prompting.
Contact
Makayla Fikrat can be reached at neurology@healio.com.