title: The experience of headaches in health care workers: opportunity for care improvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the relationship between health care workers' self-reported experience of headaches/migraines, their overall quality of life, and treatment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of adults employed by a self-insured hospital system located in the Southeast United States. Study participants responded to a web-based survey disseminated via work email accounts. The survey measured headache medication use, health care service utilization, and impacts on quality of life and treatment optimization using standardized instruments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We received responses from 2453 employees (response rate 33.8%), of which 84.4% reported headaches, suggesting that those with headaches were more likely to complete the survey. Forty percent of respondents reported mild to severe disability due to headaches, and approximately 65% used prescription or over-the-counter medications to treat headaches. Approximately 45% of participants taking headache medications reported unsatisfactory treatment. Among all respondents, those with mild, moderate, or severe migraine disability were 2.35, 1.7, or 2.08 times more likely to take headache medications than those with little or no migraine disability. Among those taking headache medications for treatment, respondents with nonclinical job titles, presenting better physical health status, or reporting little or no migraine disability were more likely to achieve treatment optimization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recognizing the potential over response by employees who have headaches, our study remains suggestive of a care improvement opportunity in the health care workforce.
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Greenville Hospital System, University Medical Group, Greenville, SC, USA.
authors: Mary D
authors: MD
authors: Hughes
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Wu
authors: Terry C
authors: TC
authors: Williams
authors: Jeremy M
authors: JM
authors: Loberger
authors: Matthew F
authors: MF
authors: Hudson
authors: Joselyn R
authors: JR
authors: Burdine
authors: Peggy J
authors: PJ
authors: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005791:Patient Care / Q000639:trends*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult