Children's Mercy Offers Online Tool to Help With Student Headaches

In the Olathe School District last year, 5,000 middle and high school students went to the nurse because of a headache.

“In some students with chronic headaches, it’s even led to them not being able to attend school and have absences due to the headaches,” said Cindy Galemore, health services director for the Olathe School District.

Researchers at Children’s Mercy Hospital have just launched a tool that they believe could help thousands of local families and is also already getting international attention.

The hospital partnered with the Olathe School District to launch the program, but it’s something than anyone who has to deal with headaches can use.

Hospital researchers developed a new interactive website to help students put together a plan to assess and manage headaches at a young age.

Dr. Jennifer Bickel at Children’s Mercy Hospital said she usually doesn’t see students until they’ve had headaches for several years. The new tool can offer guidance much sooner.

“What the students can do is essentially educate themselves right then and there at the same site,” Bickel said. “It can also enable them to get ready for the doctor’s visits to go through some quizzes to see if they’re prepared to take their case to the doctor to get the treatment they need.”

See the full story via KMBC 9.