Organização de serviços de apoio clínico para doentes com cefaleias em Portugal

Headaches are very prevalent disorders with substantial impact in terms of public health, being currently the second worldwide cause of years lived with disability. Headache patients’ access to the right treatment at the right time has the potential to substantially decrease the individual, social and economic impact of these disorders. With this purpose, the Portuguese Headache Society, following the guidelines of the European Headache Federation and the Lifting-the-Burden campaign (with official relations with the World Health Organization), prepared a proposal to define the organization of clinical support services for headache patients in Portugal. The present document intends to adapt the international recommendations to the Portuguese reality, assessing the need for headache care in Portugal and organizing health resources through integrated multilevel care model – from health education, primary health care and referral for neurology or monothematic consultations in headache and / or headache centers or specialized units.