Cns Drugs
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Comparative Study
Need for care and perceptions of MIDAS among headache sufferers study.
Patients with migraine have varying medical care needs. To effectively stratify patients to appropriate care, physicians should consider the frequency and intensity of attacks, and their overall impact on ability to function. The Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) measures headache-related disability. The MIDAS Perceptions Study investigated whether MIDAS scores reflect headache severity and the need for medical care, and assessed whether the MIDAS questionnaire is meaningful and relevant to patients, and easy to use. ⋯ A low MIDAS score generally seems to indicate a low need for care, while individuals in MIDAS grades III and IV appear to have significant unmet medical care needs. The MIDAS questionnaire had increasingly perceived relevance as MIDAS grade increased, helped the majority of those in MIDAS grades III and IV to understand the impact of their headaches, and encouraged those with the greatest disability to seek medical care. The MIDAS questionnaire may facilitate communication between doctors and patients, and help physicians to identify those receiving inadequate medical care.