RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patient Satisfaction with Migraine Management by Family Physicians
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 563
OP 566
DO 10.3122/jabfm.18.6.563
VO 18
IS 6
A1 Walling, Anne D.
A1 Woolley, Douglas C.
A1 Molgaard, Craig
A1 Kallail, K. James
YR 2005
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/18/6/563.abstract
AB Over 70% of the estimated 5 million office visits per year for migraine headache are to family physicians. Both the number of visits and proportion of migraine patients seeking medical care are increasing rapidly. Patient satisfaction with migraine care by primary care physicians is reported to be low but most data are obtained from patients referred to subspecialists or entered in clinical trials. We surveyed patients who consulted family physicians in 10 Kansas practices during 2002 to assess patient satisfaction and investigate any differences between satisfied and unsatisfied migraine patients. Of our 447 respondents, 74% were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with migraine care by family physicians. Dissatisfied patients were significantly more likely to report moderate or severe migraine-related disability and less likely to use triptans or to have most medications paid by insurance. Dissatisfied patients were twice as likely to have discontinued taking triptans than satisfied patients. Patient satisfaction with migraine treatment in family practice is substantially higher than generally reported. Statistically significant differences exist between satisfied and dissatisfied patients.