Urgent Care May Serve Chronic Headache Sufferers Better

A headache attack has brought you to the brink of seeking medical treatment. Do you visit the local emergency room (ER) or should you visit an urgent care facility (UC)? According to a recent online survey conducted by the National Headache Foundation (NHF), more sufferers visited an ER; however, headache sufferers might benefit by seeking treatment at a UC facility.

According to the NHF online survey, 68 percent of survey respondents have visited an emergency room for headache treatment. Forty-five percent of respondents stated that they visited the ER at least one to two times in the last year to treat their condition.

Headache sufferers were asked about the treatments they received in the ER and in the UC. The survey showed the following distinctions:

With regard to wait time, 67 percent waited less than one hour in the UC versus 33 percent in the ER during that timeframe.

When asked if the medical provider was polite and respectful, 67 percent responded favorably about the UC compared to 54 percent about the ER.

Respondents were asked if the diagnosis was clearly explained to them, of which 58 percent answered positively for the UC and 38 percent for the ER.

As far as whether the treatment they received was effective, 53 percent responded affirmatively for the UC against 36 percent for the ER.

Fifty-five percent stated that the UC staff provided clear instructions about what to do if the headache returned, countering the 37 percent for the ER.

The survey queried sufferers as to whether they were made to feel like a drug seeker, with 29 percent stating that they did not feel that way when treated in the UC, while 50 percent said they did feel that way in the ER.

When polled about being placed in a quiet area, 76 percent said that was the case in the UC, while 60 percent answered the same for the ER.

In the case of being provided with a home care plan prior to leaving, 43 percent of survey participants received one from the UC, but only 17 percent were provided with such a plan from the ER.

When survey respondents were asked about their overall experience, 50 percent described their level of satisfaction in the UC as very good or good compared with 36 percent who visited the ER.

 “While the ER is familiar to many people, headache sufferers are encouraged to consider their local urgent care facility the next time they require immediate headache treatment,” said Dr Roger Cady, vice president of the National Headache Foundation.

In addition to surveying sufferers, a poll was also conducted of health care providers about their experiences treating headache patients in an urgent care setting. The results of this survey indicated that sufferers could help their own cause by following the prescribed treatment regimen.

According to this survey, 67 percent of patients have failed to properly use their home plan before seeking assistance at a UC facility and 59 percent of those in need of preventive medication are not receiving them. The health care providers surveyed indicated that 85 percent of the people they see have been previously diagnosed by another physician. The most common headache with which patients present in the UC is migraine.

 “I believe that an urgent care facility provides the most effective treatment and sensitive environment for headache sufferers,” said Dr David Stern member of the Urgent Care Association of America Board of Directors.

The National Headache Foundation, founded in 1970, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving headache sufferers, their families, and the health care providers who treat them; promoting research into headache causes and treatments; and educating the public to the fact that headaches are a legitimate biological disease and that sufferers should receive understanding and continuity of care.

For more information on headache causes and treatments, visit www.headaches.org or call 888-NHF-5552, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm CST.