[Healthcare behavior of migraine and headache patients when treatment is accompanied by the digital migraine app].

backgroundTension-type headache and migraine are the second and third most prevalent disorders of mankind worldwide, after dental caries. The widespread implementation of smartphones enables the use of specific software applications (apps) for digital treatment accompaniment. In this study, the use of the migraine app (Migräne-App) for iOS and Android was examined in the practical treatment of migraine and headache patients in an extensive population sample.

methodsAn online survey was developed for the analysis of experiences as part of the treatment accompaniment and app usage. It contains questions concerning sociodemographic variables, the course of headache disorders and the previous treatment as well as the usage of the migraine app. The survey establishes compliance to the recommended treatment, the treatment plan, and treatment rules devised by the treating physician. The data collected were compared to traditional pen and paper documentation, prior to using the migraine app.

resultsA total of 1464 users participated in the standardized survey. The average age was 47.19 ± 11.37 years (87.4% female, 12.5% male). On average, users suffered from headaches for 27.28 ± 13.6 years. The majority (76.5%) were cared for by a general practitioner. Of the users 70.9% reported that they presented the aggregated data from the app to their physician on consultation, 76.4% reported that the migraine app helped them to adhere to the treatment plan designed together with their physician and the rules about headache therapy. It showed both a highly significant reduction of headache days per months prior to usage (13.30 ± 7.45 days) in comparison to at the time of conducting the survey (10.03 ± 7.30 days) as well as a highly significant reduction of intake of acute medication (before 7.61 ± 5.58 vs. ongoing 6.78 ± 4.72 days).

conclusionThe data show that the digital treatment control for therapy decisions made by the physician is highly relevant and established. Therapy compliance is improved and possible complications such as headache due to medication overuse are reduced. At the same time, a significant improvement of headache parameters and a marked overall improvement of treatment quality, amongst other things due to more easily available information and self-help tools can be observed.