Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a chronic disabling condition associated with a high rate of relapse.
The ‘medication-overuse headaches’ (MOH) are triggered in people who practice acute pain-relief medicine more than two or three times a week or more than 10 days out of the month. The efficacy of electronic monitoring and alerting system for curbing MOH has been well explained in this study.
Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a chronic disabling condition associated with a high rate of relapse.
We evaluated whether the adoption of electronic-assisted monitoring, advice and communication would improve the outcome over a follow-up of 6 months in a controlled, multicentre, multinational study conducted in six headache centres located in Europe and Latin America. A total of 663 MOH subjects were enrolled and divided into two groups: The Comoestas group was monitored with an electronic diary associated with an alert system and a facilitated communication option, and the Classic group with a paper headache diary.
We observed a significantly higher percentage of overuse-free subjects in the Comoestas group compared with the Classic group: 73.1 vs 64.1% (odds ratio 1.45, 95% confidence interval 1.07–2.09, p = 0.046). The Comoestas group performed better also regarding the number of days/month with intake of acute drugs and the level of disability [Migraine Disability Assessment Score: Comoestas group – 42.5 ± 53.6 (35.5–49.3) and Classic group – 27.5 ± 56.1 (20.6–34.3) (p < 0.003)].
The adoption of the electronic tool improved the outcome of patients suffering from MOH after withdrawal from overused drugs. Information and communication technology represents a valid aid for optimizing the management of chronic conditions at risk of worsening or of relapsing.
Cephalalgia
The added value of an electronic monitoring and alerting system in the management of medication-overuse headache: A controlled multicentre study
Cristina Tassorelli et al.
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