Highlights | Shared visits bring relief to headache patients
- Headache disorders are extremely common but can be isolating and discouraging.
- The Headache Clinic at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt offers shared visits for small groups of patients.
- Providers discuss treatment options in-depth and get more time with patients.
- Patients get a chance to find community among people with similar experiences.
- They also learn that there are many treatment options available to them.
Headache disorders, which involve recurring and often debilitating headaches, are remarkably prevalent, affecting approximately 40% of the global population, according to the World Health Organization.
Despite this, people with headache disorders often encounter challenges in gaining recognition for their pain, which, though very real, cannot be easily visualized by others. This can make living with a headache disorder an isolating experience, as patients often struggle to find effective treatment options and may feel hopeless about improving their symptoms.
The Headache Clinic at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt is committed to tackling these challenges. Clinic providers specialize in treating complex headache disorders and offer an innovative treatment model aimed at restoring hope and fostering a sense of community among patients through shared treatment visits.
Through the shared visit approach, clinicians provide comprehensive headache care, supporting every patient and helping them feel empowered in their journey toward relief.
Identifying a need, solving a problem
Upon assuming the role of director of the Headache Clinic, Natalia Murinova, MD, MHA, recognized a recurring challenge in her practice: The repetition of information during individual patient appointments. The clinic’s high demand and the regional shortage of headache specialists further constrained her ability to dedicate ample time to each patient.
Murinova envisioned a more efficient approach to patient education by delivering general information to groups of patients simultaneously, thereby reserving individual appointments for personalized care recommendations.
This led to the development of shared visits, where Murinova could meet with a small group of patients to discuss various headache treatment options and management strategies while offering the latest medical insights.
“The shared visits provide an opportunity to discuss new discoveries and treatment options in a more efficient and comprehensive way,” she explains.
Helping patients explore all their options
Nearly a decade later, the program offers multiple 90-minute shared visits via telemedicine with a plan for future in-person visits.
The shared visit program offers 12 distinct types of shared visits covering a range of topics. The introductory session, “Steps to Success,” provides participants with a comprehensive overview of strategies to alleviate headache symptoms. This includes understanding the underlying mechanisms of headaches as well as an overview of available treatment options.
Additional specialized sessions delve into more treatments, such as new medications, neuromodulation, and lifestyle pillars that include nutrition, sleep and exercise. The latest addition to the shared visit topics, “Empowered Relief,” equips patients with relaxation techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy to help mitigate pain.
Helping patients connect and find relief
Shared visits benefit patients not only on an individual level but also by fostering a sense of community among those with similar experiences.
Living with a headache disorder can make individuals feel isolated. The invisibility of headache disorders often means others may not recognize or fully understand the extent of the pain.
Being with others who share similar experiences validates a patient’s pain and helps them realize they are not alone.
While shared visits don’t eliminate all the challenges of living with a headache disorder, they do help patients build a supportive community, feel encouraged, explore treatment options and potentially find relief from their pain.
“The majority of people who come to us have experienced headaches for many years, often after trying numerous treatments. Despite these challenges, they find new hope with us,” says Murinova. “Our clinic is committed to helping them discover that there are still many treatment options available to improve their headaches and well-being. With our support, they can regain control over their lives and feel better.”
