Objective: Determine healthcare resource utilization in migraine patients prescribed preventive medications in the resident neurology clinic at Rhode Island Hospital.
Background: Similar institutions have demonstrated that treatment with preventive migraine medications results in significant decreases in outpatient and ED visits, CT/ MRI scans and abortive medication usage.
Methods: Retrospective chart review identified 166 patients based on icd-9 code. Resource utilization was defined as documented emergency room visits, MRI/CT, hospitalizations, outpatient visits and abortive medication usage.
Results: There was no difference in resource utilization in those patients taking or not taking a preventive medication. Only 53% were on a level A recommended medication and of those 35.5% were treated with recommended doses.
Conclusion: UNLIKE similar institutions, there was no difference in resource utilization in patients taking preventive medications. A possible explanation for this discrepancy may be that patients are sub-optimally treated with less effective medications and doses. Employment of appropriate preventive medications may result in a decrease in the utilization of healthcare resources.
Keywords: CT; MRI; emergency department; migraine; migraine preventive therapy; migraine resource utilization.