OBJECTIVE: Chronic headache is a disease where improvement in quality of care is not only beneficial for the patient but also a mandatory goal. Disease-management approaches focusing on patient education are means by which to reduce symptom severity, workplace absenteeism and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS: Non-scientific employees (N=5.000) of Dresden University were screened for migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) according to International Headache Society criteria (n=378). Patients were asked about their HRQoL (MOS Short-Form 36) and about therapy patterns using non-standardized questions, success, satisfaction, and workplace absenteeism both before and one year (settlement phase) after intervention. Intervention was by basic information material and a voluntary two-hour intensive patient education program in accordance with therapy recommendations. Results were obtained by means of descriptive statistics and comparison of run-in and post-intervention data. RESULTS: One hundred forty three patients returned the post-intervention questionnaire. Patient education sessions were attended by 54 patients. Overall, 27.6% were able to treat their headache more successfully after intervention; 42.3% were still not under GP surveillance. Migraine treatment with triptans was most successful for all eligible patients. Success rate in ergotamine users was 72.2%. 39.5% of patients changed their medication during the settlement phase. Education in combination with change in medication yielded maximum increase in HRQoL. Patients with severe initial pain had a significant increase in HRQoL scores for three dimensions: pain (+19.7), physical functioning (+10.4), and social functioning (+10.5). Direct and indirect workplace absenteeism decreased by 3.14 hours per four-week period, gaining more than 600 Euros/year/patient (human capital approach). The benefit of patients switching medication was 5.26 hours/patient. CONCLUSION: The study results demonstrate that education of patients results in a change of coping strategies, reduced headache severity, improved HRQoL, increased satisfaction and restored productivity.