Websites offer helpful information concerning consultation with headache specialists.
Patients with severe primary headache may benefit from consultation with headache specialists, but doctor attendance rates in Japan are very low. More headache patients might consult headache specialists if these specialists were more widely recognized by the public. To determine what information prompted patients to seek consultation with a headache specialist, we questioned 256 primary headache patients about the source of the helpful information concerning consultation with headache specialists. From 191 patients, a total of 235 responses to the questionnaire were obtained. The most common response was 'websites' (33.2%), followed by 'professionals' (23.8%), 'acquaintances' (20.9%), 'print media' (6.8%) and 'TV/radio' (3.4%). Patients who indicated websites showed the most severe pain and highest impact of headache, and accounted for 52.4% of those with cluster headaches. Development of websites concerning headache specialists would seem likely to increase doctor attendance rates for patients with primary headache.
Imai
N
N
Department of Neurology, Shizuoka Red Cross Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan. nboimai@ac.mbn.or.jp
Yagi
N
N
Konishi
T
T
Serizawa
M
M
Kobari
M
M
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult