Use of outpatient medical care by headache patients in Germany: a population-based cross-sectional study

Müller, Britta; Dresler, Thomas; Gaul, Charly; Jürgens, Tim; Kropp, Peter; Rehfeld, Anna; Reis, Olaf; Ruscheweyh, Ruth; Straube, Andreas und Foerderreuther, Stefanie (2020): Use of outpatient medical care by headache patients in Germany: a population-based cross-sectional study. In: Journal of Headache and Pain, Bd. 21, Nr. 1, 49

Abstract

Background: Headache sufferers in need of professional health care often do not utilize the care available, and factors influencing headache-specific physician consultation are not yet understood. Objectives: of this study are (1) to assess self-reported headache-specific physician consultations and (2) to identify headache-related and sociodemographic predictors. Methods Data of a random sample of the general population in Germany aged >= 14 years were analyzed (N = 2461). A multivariate binary logistic regression was conducted to identify a parsimonious model to predict physician consultation. Results 50.7% of the participants with headache reported at least one headache-specific physician consultation during lifetime. Of these, 53.6% had seen one, 26.1% two, and 20.3% more than two physicians because of their headaches. The odds of physician consultation increased with the number of headache days per month (HDM) [(reference HDM < 1) HDM 1-3 (OR = 2.29), HDM 4-14 (OR = 2.41), and HDM >= 15 (OR = 4.83)] and increasing Headache Impact Test score (HIT-6) [(reference "no or little impact") moderate impact (OR = 1.74), substantial impact (OR = 3.01), and severe impact (OR = 5.08)]. Middle-aged participants were more likely to have consulted than younger and older ones [(reference 14-34 years) 35-54 years (OR = 1.90), 55-74 years (OR = 1.96), >= 75 years (OR = 1.02)]. The odds of physician consultation among self-employed subjects were lower than among employed manual workers (OR = 0.48). The living environment (rural versus urban) did not have an influence on the consultation frequency. Conclusion The results indicate that apart from burden-related factors (headache frequency;headache impact), health care utilization patterns are also influenced by patients' occupational status and age. Further research is needed to analyze whether the lower consultation rate means that the self-employed have a higher risk of chronification or that they have more effective self-management strategies regarding headache.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 1129-2369
• Sprache: Englisch