Objectives. To describe a method for quantifying headache symptoms/features in family practice charts for patients diagnosed with headache NOS (not otherwis e specified, IGD 9: 784) and to determine the share of NOS h...
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Objectives. To describe a method for quantifying headache symptoms/features in family practice charts for patients diagnosed with headache NOS (not otherwis e specified, IGD 9: 784) and to determine the share of NOS headache diagnoses w ith clinical data strongly suggestive of migraine or probable migraine headache. Background. Headache is one of the most common pain symptoms that brings pati ents to a family physician. However, the majority of headache sufferers do not r eceive a specific headache diagnosis when they visit physicians. Methods. We e xamined the chart notes of 454 patients exclusively diagnosed with one or more I CD 9 coded headache NOS diagnoses from July 1, 1995 through December 31,1999 at a large suburban, university affiliated practice. We developed a template cont aining 20 headache items combining International Headache Society diagnostic cri teria and additional headache symptoms/features, and decision rules for coding s ymptom s/features and collected data from patient charts. We then developed dec ision rules and reclassified NOS headaches into categories strongly suggestive o f migraine, probable migraine headache, or other diagnosis. Our main outcome mea sure is the consistency in the application of decision rules and diagnostic crit eria. Results. With this method we estimate 3 in 10 (29%) headache NOS patien ts may have had migraine (8%) or probable migraine headache (21%). Reclassifi ed migraine visits averaged 6.5 migraine symptoms and reclassified probable migr aine headache visits 4.7 migraine symptoms. Logistic regression analysis support s the consistency of diagnostic criteria for classifying headache based on coded symptoms/features our model correctly predicted 96%of visits. Evidence of ph ysical examination was recorded at 75%of visits suggesting that physician atten tion is focused on elimination of secondary headache. Conclusions. We think th e use of our rigorous procedures reveals that a substantial amount of migraine a nd
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