TY - JOUR
T1 - Headache service quality
T2 - evaluation of quality indicators in 14 specialist-care centres
AU - Schramm, Sara
AU - Uluduz, Derya
AU - Gouveia, Raquel Gil
AU - Jensen, Rigmor
AU - Siva, Aksel
AU - Uygunoglu, Ugur
AU - Gvantsa, Giorgadze
AU - Mania, Maka
AU - Braschinsky, Mark
AU - Filatova, Elena
AU - Latysheva, Nina
AU - Osipova, Vera
AU - Skorobogatykh, Kirill
AU - Azimova, Julia
AU - Straube, Andreas
AU - Eren, Ozan Emre
AU - Martelletti, Paolo
AU - De Angelis, Valerio
AU - Negro, Andrea
AU - Linde, Mattias
AU - Hagen, Knut
AU - Radojicic, Aleksandra
AU - Zidverc-Trajkovic, Jasna
AU - Podgorac, Ana
AU - Paemeleire, Koen
AU - De Pue, Annelien
AU - Lampl, Christian
AU - Steiner, Timothy J
AU - Katsarava, Zaza
PY - 2016/12
Y1 - 2016/12
N2 - BACKGROUND: The study was a collaboration between Lifting The Burden (LTB) and the European Headache Federation (EHF). Its aim was to evaluate the implementation of quality indicators for headache care Europe-wide in specialist headache centres (level-3 according to the EHF/LTB standard).METHODS: Employing previously-developed instruments in 14 such centres, we made enquiries, in each, of health-care providers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and 50 patients, and analysed the medical records of 50 other patients. Enquiries were in 9 domains: diagnostic accuracy, individualized management, referral pathways, patient's education and reassurance, convenience and comfort, patient's satisfaction, equity and efficiency of the headache care, outcome assessment and safety.RESULTS: Our study showed that highly experienced headache centres treated their patients in general very well. The centres were content with their work and their patients were content with their treatment. Including disability and quality-of-life evaluations in clinical assessments, and protocols regarding safety, proved problematic: better standards for these are needed. Some centres had problems with follow-up: many specialised centres operated in one-touch systems, without possibility of controlling long-term management or the success of treatments dependent on this.CONCLUSIONS: This first Europe-wide quality study showed that the quality indicators were workable in specialist care. They demonstrated common trends, producing evidence of what is majority practice. They also uncovered deficits that might be remedied in order to improve quality. They offer the means of setting benchmarks against which service quality may be judged. The next step is to take the evaluation process into non-specialist care (EHF/LTB levels 1 and 2).
AB - BACKGROUND: The study was a collaboration between Lifting The Burden (LTB) and the European Headache Federation (EHF). Its aim was to evaluate the implementation of quality indicators for headache care Europe-wide in specialist headache centres (level-3 according to the EHF/LTB standard).METHODS: Employing previously-developed instruments in 14 such centres, we made enquiries, in each, of health-care providers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and 50 patients, and analysed the medical records of 50 other patients. Enquiries were in 9 domains: diagnostic accuracy, individualized management, referral pathways, patient's education and reassurance, convenience and comfort, patient's satisfaction, equity and efficiency of the headache care, outcome assessment and safety.RESULTS: Our study showed that highly experienced headache centres treated their patients in general very well. The centres were content with their work and their patients were content with their treatment. Including disability and quality-of-life evaluations in clinical assessments, and protocols regarding safety, proved problematic: better standards for these are needed. Some centres had problems with follow-up: many specialised centres operated in one-touch systems, without possibility of controlling long-term management or the success of treatments dependent on this.CONCLUSIONS: This first Europe-wide quality study showed that the quality indicators were workable in specialist care. They demonstrated common trends, producing evidence of what is majority practice. They also uncovered deficits that might be remedied in order to improve quality. They offer the means of setting benchmarks against which service quality may be judged. The next step is to take the evaluation process into non-specialist care (EHF/LTB levels 1 and 2).
U2 - 10.1186/s10194-016-0707-9
DO - 10.1186/s10194-016-0707-9
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 27933580
SN - 1129-2369
VL - 17
SP - 111
JO - Journal of Headache and Pain
JF - Journal of Headache and Pain
IS - 1
ER -