Improved Diagnosis, Better Care
Commenting on the initiative, Juliana VanderPluym, MD, a headache specialist at the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, who co-chaired the session where the survey results were presented, said it helps address the supply-demand imbalance in headache healthcare.
“Many, many people have headache disorders, and very few people are technically headache specialists, so we have to rely on our colleagues in primary care to help address the great need that’s out there for patients with headache disorders.”
Too many patients don’t get a proper diagnosis or appropriate treatment, said Dr. VanderPluym, so as time passes, “diseases can become more chronic and more refractory, and it affects people’s quality of life and productivity.”
The First Contact program, she said, helps increase providers’ comfort and confidence that they are providing the best patient care possible and lead to a reduction in the need for specialist referrals.
Dr. Minen serves on the First Contact advisory board.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.