Headaches/migraine
Adult

Neurology

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Emergency Referrals

Useful Management Information

Medical management

Manage migraine – acute pain treatment, dietary advice, hormone management and or preventive medications trial for at least 2-3 months
Tension/cervicogenic headaches – simple analgesia, massage, physiotherapy review
Consider ELFT FBC ESR CRP in patients at risk for a systemic cause for headaches
Consider neuroimaging to exclude intracranial pathology
Consider medication overuse headache if patient using large amounts of over-the-counter analgesics such as aspirin, opioids, paracetamol and/or caffeine
Social modifiers - impact to ADLs
Adequate chronic disease/lifestyle (SNAP) management is a requirement for most patients
Clinical urgency is the dominant consideration in the prioritisation of a referral for a child currently in out of home care (OOHC), or at risk of entering or leaving OOHC.

Clinician Resources

Statement of Intent

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)	Abnormal neurological exam with concerning features on neuroimaging (new onset headache) Severe/acute trigeminal Neuralgia with inability to eat Concerning features: sudden onset/thunderclap headache severe headache with signs of systemic illness (fever, neck stiffness, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness) first severe headache age > 50 years severe headache associated with recent head trauma recent onset headaches in young obese females headaches with papilloedema >50 years with raised CRP/ESR or if giant cell arteritis or vasculitis suspected
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)	Severe frequent headaches and trial of at least 3 migraine preventive medications without improvement (list 3 treatments trialled)
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)	Chronic/complicated headache/migraine unresponsive to medical management
If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested: Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.) Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service

Standard Referral Information

Reason for request

To establish a diagnosis
For treatment or intervention
For advice and management
For specialist to take over management
Reassurance for GP/second opinion
For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
Reassurance for the patient/family
For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Relevant clinical information about the condition

Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
Physical findings
Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
Body mass index (BMI)
Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
Current medications and dosages
Drug allergies
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Patient's Demographic Details

Full name (including aliases)
Date and country of birth
Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
Medicare number (where eligible)
Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
Preferred language and interpreter requirements
Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

Full name
Full address
Contact details – telephone, fax, email
Provider number
Date of referral
Signature
Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Other relevant information

Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Essential Referral Information

Medication history, including non-prescription medications, herbs and supplements
List all treatments trialled (at least three prophylactics – i.e.. Not tryptans or acute analgesics) and reasons for failure

Additional Referral Information

ELFT, FBC, ESR, CRP results
ECG tracing
Neuroimaging results (MRI preferable)

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Neurology (E-Blueslips)

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Booking and Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

HealthPathways home page

Service Availability

Dr Saman Heshmat

Medical Director Neurology

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Headaches/migraineAdult