Cluster Headache: Impact and Perception Study, v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Perceptions and experiences of cluster headache among patients, GPs and neurologists in the North of England
IRAS ID
168770
Contact name
Lisa Anne-Marie Dikomitis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
20142015005, Ethics Approval Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 0 days
Research summary
Very few qualitative studies of cluster headache have been conducted. As a result we have little in-depth understanding of the perceptions, experiences and understandings of cluster headache patients and the health professionals who treat them. With this proposed research we aim to rectify that gap.
There are two components to this project: a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and a survey study among participants at a headache conference. For the interview study we will conduct interviews with cluster headache patients in the Hull Migraine Clinic, Department of Neurology at Hull Royal Infirmary and with GPs and neurologists practising in the north of England.
We aim to understand how cluster headache is perceived and understood by the people suffering from it and the health care professionals treating cluster headache patients in the north of England. We will study this in ways which will be generalisable to the UK as a whole. We hope to identify which aspects of cluster headache require specific attention and in doing so increasing awareness around cluster headache.
We view this study as a scoping exercise that will pave the way for a full-scale, multicentre innovative project on the social and cultural constructions of cluster headache. Such a larger and international study would allow the research team to map the perceptions, experiences and understandings of cluster headache from a cross-cultural perspective.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0039
Date of REC Opinion
13 Jan 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion