Healthcare disparities encountered by patients with headache disorders and potential mitigation strategies

This chapter discusses the healthcare disparities in headache medicine and proposes solutions to mitigate them. Disparities exist in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of underserved patients with migraine and other headache disorders. Systemic racism, provider bias and lack of cultural sensitivity, a history of mistrust and historical injustices, lack of research of underrepresented groups, lack of diversity in clinical and research realms as well as leadership positions within national institutions and organizations all contribute to the ongoing disparities in headache medicine. Making strides in increasing the diversity of the clinical and research workforce, training providers on cultural sensitivity, providing mentorship programs to underrepresented groups in headache medicine, increasing funding for headache medicine disparity research, and facilitating participation of underrepresented groups in research are all potential ways to address disparities.