Diagnosing and Managing Headaches
Course #50215 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Headaches are considered one of the most common types of pain and one of the most frequent causes of presentation to physician offices and clinics. Millions of adults seek treatment from physicians each year related to headache pain. As a result, headaches represent a significant cause of morbidity. It has been estimated that headaches result in billions of dollars in expenses, job absenteeism, and decreased annual productivity. They also result in decreased quality of life. Coping with a chronic headache disorder may predispose the individual to other illnesses. For example, depression is three times more common in people with migraine or severe headache than in healthy individuals. A clear understanding of the types and causes of headache pain is essential for dental providers to adequately address and manage the patient with headaches.
This course is designed for dental professionals who may encounter patients who complain of headaches.
Given the common and difficult diagnoses associated with headaches, the purpose of this course is to educate the dental professional about the epidemiology and treatment of the various types of headaches so they may make early and accurate diagnoses, begin effective treatment, and/or refer patients to a specialist when necessary.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Illustrate the epidemiology and economic impact of headaches.
- Demonstrate the pathophysiology of headaches.
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of headaches, focusing on history and physical exam, and discuss the role of an interpreter in assessing non-English-proficient patients.
- Identify the appropriate imaging modalities for headaches and their specific indications.
- Describe the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of migraine headaches.
- Differentiate the signs and treatments for cluster and tension headaches.
- Identify the secondary causes of headaches.
- Compare and contrast the differences between acute and chronic headaches.
- Recognize indications for specialist referral.
- Analyze medico-legal issues surrounding headache diagnosis and management.
El Dr. John J. Whyte, MPH, es vicepresidente de educación médica continua en el canal Discovery Health Channel. En su función, el Dr. Whyte desa-rrolla, diseña e imparte la programación de educación médica del canal Discovery Health Channel, el principal canal de salud de más de 64 millones de hogares. El Dr. Whyte crea cursos, productos y servicios sobre importantes temas clínicos que interesan tanto a la audiencia médica como al público no especializado. Estos incluyen programas de televisión, contenido en Internet y discos DVD.
El Dr. Whyte es un especialista en medicina interna certificado por la Junta que ha completado una residencia de medicina interna en el Centro Médico de la Universidad de Duke (Duke University Medical Center) y una beca de investigación en servicios de salud en la Universidad de Stanford. Su investigación se centra en el manejo de la hiperlipidemia en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria. Sigue clínicamente activo, desempeñándose como médico suplente en áreas subatendidas.
Antes de sumarse a Discovery, el Dr. Whyte ocupaba el cargo inmediatamente inferior al director en la Agencia para la Investigación y Calidad de Atención Médica. Trabajó como asesor médico y director del Consejo de Iniciativas del Sector Privado (Council on Private Sector Initiatives, CPSI) para Mejorar la Seguridad y la Calidad de Atención Médica, un consejo creado por el ex Secretario de Servicios Sociales y de Salud, Tommy Thompson.
El Dr. Whyte también ha trabajado como funcionario médico/asesor senior en el Grupo de Análisis y Cobertura y como Director titular de la División de Artículos y Dispositivos en los Centros para Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS) (anteriormente Administración de Financiamiento de Atención Médica). En esas funciones, el Dr. Whyte recomendaba si el programa de Medicare debía pagar o no ciertos procedimientos, equipos o servicios y era responsable de más decisiones de cobertura que cualquier otro miembro del personal de CMS.
El Dr. Whyte ha escrito mucho tanto en la prensa médica como en la prensa general sobre temas de política de salud.
Contributing faculty, El Dr. John J. Whyte, MPH, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.