title: Awareness of headache and of National Headache Society activities among primary care physicians - a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Headache is one of the most common symptoms in primary care. To improve the quality of headache diagnosis and management with the largest possible benefit for the general population, headache and pain societies around the world have recently been devoting more attention to headache in primary care.The aim of the study was to investigate the potential contribution that national societies can make toward raising the awareness of primary headaches in general practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a qualitative telephone survey, targeting primary care practices (PCP), we asked about the frequency of headache patients in their practices and inquired about their treatment and referral strategies.A total of 1000 telephone interviews with PCP have been conducted. Three-hundred and fifty physicians have been directly interviewed, 95% of them see headache patients every week, 23% daily. Direct MRI referral is done by 84%. Sixty-two per cent of the physicians knew the Swiss headache society, 73% were interested in further education about headaches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey yielded information about the physicians' awareness of the Swiss Headache Society and its activities, and about their desire for continuing education in the area of headache. National headache societies should work to improve the cooperation between headache specialists and PCP, aiming for a better care for our patients with headache.
authors.affiliation: Neurorehabilitation, RehaClinic Bad Zurzach, Quellenstrasse 34, Bad Zurzach, CH-5330, Switzerland. a.gantenbein@rehaclinic.ch
authors.forename: Andreas R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gantenbein
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jäggi
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sturzenegger
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Gabriele S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Merki-Feld
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Emmenegger
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taub
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sándor
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010821:Physicians, Family; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland