Migraine Position Statement from the International Headache Society

Over 1 billion people in the world live with migraine. In a position statement, Health Technology Assessment for the Acute Treatment of Migraine Attacks and Prevention of Migraine, from the International Headache Society (IHS), health technology assessments—"systematic evaluations of the properties, effects, and direct and indirect consequences of a healthcare technology that are intended to inform decision makers”—are explored. The statement, discussed in the journal Cephalagia, is the first of its kind. It seeks to improve and standardize data, rules and criteria, and assessment of risks and benefits lacking in current local, regional, and national levels.

In an effort to globally standardize medications and treatments for migraine the Clinical Trials Subcommittee of the IHS looked at multiple data sources and modelling methods when assessing the value of migraine treatments. Through examination of acute treatment, questionnaires, preventive treatments, use of medications and neuromodulatory devices, responses to treatment, duration of medication use, and cost-effectiveness, among others, the committee’s position statement “extends beyond the already available guidelines…to incorporate real-world evidence and a synthetic approach for considering multiple data sources and modeling methods when assessing the value of migraine treatments.”

 

Read the journal article.

Other Categories:

• guidelines

• headache

• migraine

• pain management

• pain policy