Development of an online educational self-management programme for chronic headache

Chronic headache is among the leading causes of years lost to disability in high and middle income countries, causing considerable personal and societal burden. It is estimated that chronic headache costs the UK NHS £1billion each year in direct costs and a further £7billion in lost productivity.

In Northern Ireland, Neurology services are under considerable strain, referrals to the service outweigh capacity, contributing to long waiting lists. It is estimated that around 28% of referrals are for headache diagnosis and management. Interventions to improve headache management within primary care are likely to reduce demand on specialist neurology services. 

Educational interventions have been shown to improve headache frequency, headache related disability and quality of life. Online educational self management programmes have shown promise in a number of chronic conditions and are appealing as they encourage wider participation and scalability.

This research study will design, develop and evaluate the content and delivery of an online educational self management intervention for individuals with chronic headache.

In line with the medical research council guidance on complex intervention development the research will have three parts:

(1) A systematic review will be conducted to find out what seems to be important in terms of helping individuals to manage their headache disorder. 

(2) Focus Groups (discussions) with individuals with chronic headache and their healthcare providers will be conducted to help refine the content and delivery options for the online intervention.

(3) A feasibility study will be conducted to test the intervention.