Talking to your patients
Engaging in productive dialogue about migraine prevention: treating migraine is often a cycle of trial and error and it is important to encourage patients to have an ongoing dialogue with their healthcare team about the impact that migraine has on their life.
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Patient education should begin at diagnosis to effectively manage expectations of treatment.1
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The patient can play an important role as a partner in treatment decisions and behaviour change.1, 2
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Continual assessment is crucial in evaluating treatment effectiveness and need for new strategies.1
Discussing the impact of migraine
Migraine can have a significant impact on people living with the disease as well as on their friends and loved ones. However, many people living with migraine do not discuss the disability that they experience, with their doctor.³ You can help your patients improve their quality of life by3
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Helping them to assess their migraine attacks3
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Discussing treatment goals and options that meet their needs and their lifestyle3,4
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Regularly assessing their progress, including the effectiveness of any treatments and any changes in the impact of migraine on their life3
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Encouraging them to talk to other migraine sufferers, for example through a local patient organisation or support group4
Antonaci F et al. Recent advances in migraine therapy. Springerplus 2016; 5: 637
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline 150. September 2012 (updated 2015)
Buse DC et al. Mayo Clin Proc 2009;84:422–435
Salt R. Nursing in Practice 2017 Available at: https://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/clinical-identifying-and-supporting-patients-migraine (last accessed September 2018)
