Evaluating patient satisfaction with specific migraine therapy based on initial treatment expectations: the PAX study

Abstract

Aims and objectives:

The PAX study was a naturalistic, prospective survey evaluating treatment expectations and satisfaction in a typical French migraine population.

Methods:

A total of 1710 patients were recruited by 489 general practitioners across France. Despite a high drop-out rate (due to one or more deviations from protocol and/or missing data), the analysable per-protocol population (PPP) patients (n = 615) remained representative with regard to the overall migraine population. Patients ranked expectations according to four criteria at baseline, and were asked to report satisfaction for each criterion at baseline and for six consecutive attacks. The highest-ranked treatment expectation was rapid relief of headache, followed by pain-free response, relief of associated symptoms, and ability to carry on present activity, respectively.

Results:

At inclusion, >50% of patients were using non-specific medications (analgesics, NSAIDs), and 30% reported global satisfaction with treatment. At the end of the survey, >75% of patients were using specific medications (predominantly triptans), and global treatment satisfaction increased to 83%, independent of treatment expectation rankings at baseline.

Conclusions:

These survey results suggest that satisfaction with acute migraine treatment increases when specific medications are prescribed, irrespective of which treatment expectation is considered most important at baseline. This emphasizes the need for improvements in the management of migraine, to ensure that optimal treatment is being provided with regard to pharmacological intervention.

Keywords::

• Analgesics
• Migraine
• Patient expectations
• Patient satisfaction
• Survey
• Triptans

Transparency

Declaration of funding

The PAX study was sponsored by Pfizer France, manufacturers of triptan agents.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

M.L.-M. has disclosed receiving lecturing honoraria from Almirall, Medtronic, Menarini, Pierre Fabre and Pfizer; and serving on advisory boards for Boehringer-Ingelheim, Lilly, MSD and Zambon. P.L.D. has disclosed receiving honoraria from Sanofi-Aventis, Pierre Fabre and OGC. G.M. and S.T. are employees of Pfizer France.

Sadly, Professor Hervé Allain died before this article was published.

Peer reviewers may receive honoraria from CMRO for their review work. Peer Reviewers 1 and 2 have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Acknowledgements

Medical writing assistance was provided by Content’Ed Net Medical Communications (with financial support from Pfizer).