Migraine Patient Care Model Preferences in a Community Practice

Background and Objectives Developing high-value care models with limited resources for large populations of individuals with migraine requires advanced understanding of patient preferences for care delivery methods. In this study, we aimed to inform the development of migraine care models by assessing patient preferences for types of care delivery and determining differences based on migraine frequency and disability.

Methods We analyzed unpublished data from a cross-sectional survey of 516 randomly selected individuals with migraine within a community practice associated with Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Results Individuals with chronic migraine, compared with those with episodic migraine, were more likely to prefer a visit with a neurologist (p = 0.0005), synchronous telephone conference with primary care provider (PCP) and neurologist (p = 0.0102), and a written migraine action plan in the medical record (p = 0.0343). Compared with those with mild/no disability, individuals with moderate-to-severe disability were more likely to prefer a visit with a neurologist (p < 0.0001), synchronous video or telephone conference with PCP and neurologist (p < 0.0001), PCP communication with neurologist (p = 0.0099), electronic message to primary care team with access to neurologist (p = 0.0216), and written action plan in the medical record (p = 0.0011). Collectively, individuals most preferred telephone follow-up and least preferred communications with a nurse or pharmacist or generalized education (all p < 0.001).

Discussion We observed differences in migraine care delivery preferences between migraine frequency and level of migraine disability. Observations support development of care pathways that include a written migraine action plan, primary care–neurology collaboration including nontraditional interactions, and prioritization of traditional neurology consultation for the most disabled patients.