A headache protocol for nurses: effectiveness and efficiency.
To test the effectiveness and efficiency of a nurse-administered protocol for headache in the primary care setting, we conducted a prospective controlled trial. Two hundred three randomly allocated patients were evaluated by nurses using the protocol who managed independently 55.2% of the patients and received physician consultation on the others. A total of 193 patients were randomly allocated to the physician-control group. Nurse-protocol group patients experienced equivalent symptomatic relief and expressed significantly greater satisfaction with the care they had received than did patients in the physician-control group. A retrospective study of the presenting findings in patients with serious diseases of the CNS provided evidence supporting the safety of the protocol logic. We conclude that nurse-protocol management of headache in this primary care practice was effective and efficient.
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002140:California; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies