Premium
Does Quality of Life Differ Among Headache Diagnoses? Analysis Using the Medical Outcomes Study Instrument
Author(s) -
Solomon Glen D.,
Skobieranda Franck G.,
Gragg Lisa A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1994.hed3403143.x
Subject(s) - medical diagnosis , medicine , quality (philosophy) , quality of life (healthcare) , family medicine , psychology , nursing , pathology , philosophy , epistemology
SYNOPSIS Background: To analyze the differences in quality of life associated with headache diagnoses using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF‐20). Methods: A patient interview survey using the SF‐20 Short Form Health Survey was conducted in a headache clinic within a multi‐specialty group practice. All six health components of the SF‐20 were included in the study, Headache diagnoses were made using IHS criteria. Results: 208 consecutive headache patients were studied. Patients with cluster headache had a significantly higher (worse) pain score (P<0.018) and higher percentage of patients with poor health due to pain (P<0.005) than patients with migraine headache. There were fewer cluster patients with poor health associated with physical functioning than tension‐type (P<0.020) or mixed headache (P<0.022) patients. Poor health associated with social functioning was greater for cluster (P<0.011) and tension‐type headache (P<0.015) than for migraine. There was a significantly higher percentage of tension‐type headache patients with poor health associated with mental health (P<0.002) than patients with migraine. Conclusions: The SF‐20 is a reliable and valid measure of quality of life for patients with different headache diagnoses. Distinct headache diagnoses are marked by unique patterns of impairment and quality of life.