Aim of the study: This study aimed to analyze the daily clinical practice of primary care practitioners (PCPs) in Poland concerning migraine patients.
Clinical rationale for the study: Migraine is a common chronic primary headache disease, which can be disabling if insufficiently managed. Numerous studies suggest that migraine remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. The first consultation of migraine patients is usually undertaken by a PCP.
Materials and methods: This study was conducted in June and July 2019 in Poland using a computer-assisted web interview with 51 PCPs. The interview questions concerned knowledge of diagnostic criteria and methods of migraine treatment.
Results: On average, each PCP consulted 12 patients with migraine per month. More than half of PCPs (63%) listed partial diagnostic criteria for migraine without aura or mentioned aura in their responses. Only 10% of PCPs listed all diagnostic criteria for migraine without aura. Although 55% of PCPs said that they distinguished between episodic and chronic migraine, 18% provided the wrong definition. The most commonly prescribed drugs were triptans (66%), paracetamol, metamizole, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (42%).
Conclusions and clinical implications: PCPs play a critical role in diagnosing, treating, and monitoring migraine; however, many of them have insufficient knowledge about its diagnosis and correct differentiation between chronic and episodic forms.
Keywords: chronic migraine; episodic migraine; headache; primary care practitioner.