Diagnosis, knowledge, perception, and productivity impact of headache education and clinical evaluation program in the workplace at an information technology company of more than 70,000 employees

Abstract

Background Migraine is a highly prevalent, disabling, misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and undertreated neurological disease. It is a leading cause of productivity loss in the workplace. Methods This is the first large-scale company-wide headache education and evaluation program in the workplace. Results 73,432 (90.5%) Fujitsu employees participated. The prevalence of migraine was 16.7%, tension-type headache 40.7%, and cluster headache 0.5%. After completing the training, 82.9% of participants without headache said they would change their attitude towards colleagues with headache disorders and 72.5% of total participants said their understanding of headache changed. The proportion of employees who thought that headache had a significant impact on people’s lives increased from 46.8% to 70.6%; 2971 (4.1%) of all participants were interested in a virtual consultation with a headache specialist as part of the program, more than half of whom had not previously consulted for headache. Approximately 14.7 days per year of full productivity per employee with headache were gained resulting in an annual productivity saving per employee of US$4531. Conclusion This unique headache workplace program was associated with a high level of participation, an improvement in the understanding of migraine and attitude towards colleagues with migraine, reduction in disability and increased employee productivity, and decreased costs of lost productivity due to migraine. Workplace programs for migraine should be considered for all industry sectors.

Clinical characteristics of 2,378 patients presenting with headache disorders to headache clinics in Japan: A clinic-based multicenter study

“…The incidence of cluster headaches varies among reports, and the pooled estimates of lifetime prevalence and 1-year prevalence were 124 per 100,000 and 53 per 100,000, respectively [20]. The prevalence of cluster headaches in Japan has been estimated to be around 0.1-0.5% [8,12]. This prevalence rate suggests that the number of patients with cluster headaches is less than one-tenth the number of those with migraine.…”

“…Despite their global impact, there is a notable gap in comprehensive research focused on the clinical characteristics of patients in these settings, particularly in Japan where the prevalence of headaches is comparable to, if not slightly lower than, that observed in Western countries [2][3][4]. Recent efforts by Japanese researchers have highlighted the societal burden of headache disorders [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14], yet studies that systematically investigate the clinical pro les of patients attending specialized headache clinics remain remarkably scarce. This gap limits our capacity to tailor patient care effectively and to devise interventions that meet the unique needs of this patient group.…”

Health equity, care access and quality in headache – part 1

“…This definition does not account for other patient’s features which are no less important, such as those related to an impaired quality of life due to loss of social life and productivity [ 1 ]. Also, the classic definition does not evaluate the differences related to the geographical distribution of the disease, which is not attributable only to the geographic nuances inherent in each country, but also to the differences in terms of estimation method, the definition that is used for diagnosis but also cultural misconceptions which tend to underestimate migraine as a psychosocial rather than neurobiological disorder [ 2 ].…”

Different effects of migraine associated features on disability and psychiatric conditions in patients with migraine without aura: a multicenter observational cohort study

“…Recently, Japanese researchers have shown growing awareness of the effects of headache disorders on the overall health of the Japanese population [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. These studies have revealed several consequences for people with migraines, including an unmet need for migraine healthcare, increased burden and disability, decreased quality of life, productivity impairment, and employer costs.…”