EHMTI-0332. Health care utilisation for primary headache disorders: insights from Karnataka, India: [Doc 910]

Rao et al. The Journal of Headache and Pain 2014, 15(Suppl 1):D48 http://www.thejournalofheadacheandpain.com/content/15/S1/D48

MEETING ABSTRACT Open Access

EHMTI-0332. Health care utilisation for primary headache disorders: insights from Karnataka, India

G Rao1*, G Gururaj1, G Kulkarni2, DK Subbukrishna3, T Steiner4, L Stovner5

From 4th European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress: EHMTIC 2014 Copenhagen, Denmark. 18-21 September 2014

Background

Globally, primary headache disorders are neglected and inadequately treated. There is little information on management or health-care utilisation for headache disorders from the Indian sub-continent.

Aim

To fill this knowledge gap in Karnataka State, south India.

Methods

In a population-based survey, 2,329 randomly selected, biologically unrelated adults (18-65 years) (1,141 male, 1,188 female; 1,226 urban, 1,103 rural) were interviewed using a validated structured questionnaire. Ethics approval and informed consent from participants were obtained.

Results

Headache was reported by 1,488 persons (crude annual 1-year prevalence 63.9%) with a mean age of 3712 years, 58% females and 53% rural-dwelling. Only 24.7% (32.4% rural, 16.2% urban) had sought medical help. Of these,80.6% had seen a primary-care doctor and 15.8% a specialist. Greater proportions of urban dwellers (38.6%) and females (17.7%) had consulted specialists. Consultation rates were higher for migraine (41.9% overall) but, even among those with high disability assessed as lost productive time by HALT questionnaire, did not exceed 50% (HALT grade 1: 27.3%; grade 2: 39.0%; grade 3: 45.7%; grade 4: 45.5%). Consultation rates were much higher for any headache occurring on 15 days/month (72.5%) and medication-overuse headache (78.6%).

Conclusion

Despite the high prevalence of primary headache disorders, health-care utilisation is poor. The primary care physician is consulted most often, which is where headache services should be built. Structured headache services require primary-care physicians trained in managing headache disorders, facilitated links to secondary care when needed, but also improved awareness among people with headache so that they use them.

No conflict of interest.

Authors details

1Epidemiology Centre for Public Health, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. 2Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. 3Bio-statistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. 4Neuroscience, Imperial College, London, UK. 5Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Published: 18 September 2014

doi:10.1186/1129-2377-15-S1-D48Cite this article as: Rao et al.: EHMTI-0332. Health care utilisation for primary headache disorders: insights from Karnataka, India. The Journal of Headache and Pain 2014 15(Suppl 1):D48.

1Epidemiology Centre for Public Health, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, IndiaFull list of author information is available at the end of the article

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