To determine whether telemedicine was equivalent to in-office visits for follow-up migraine care in a tertiary headache center

Telemedicine offers the capability of increasing access to care by providing expertise in headache medicine to patients in diverse locations and circumstances.  Migraine care lends itself well to this technology, as there is generally no need for a physical examination after the initial office visit.

After their initial visit, 45 patients were randomized to receive their follow-up care for one year (5 scheduled visits) by the same neurologist either in the office or using telemedicine.  Data were collected after each visit on headache disability (MIDAS), travel time and distance from the office, time missed from work, convenience of visits, study adherence, wait times, volume of communication between visits, hospitalizations and emergency department encounters for headache, perceptions of telemedicine and patient satisfaction.  Willing participants were interviewed by telephone after the completion of the study about their experience.  Data from enrollees completing at least one follow-up visit were included in the analysis.

In this cohort of patients with severe migraine-related telemedicine was an effective alternative to in-office visits for follow-up migraine care.  Headache outcomes using telemedicine were equivalent to in-office visits with higher rates of patient satisfaction using telemedicine.