Neurológia pre prax 2/2020

Psychological aspects of adherence to prophylactic medication in migraine patients: tools for the practice

When adherence is not good, therapeutic outcomes are not good either. This is a key finding in the case of complaints that are very often accompanied by psychosocial burden and/or comorbidities even from among psychiatric diagnoses. Metastudies have shown that adherence to prophylactic migraine treatment, particularly in the long term, is low, such as that in the case of daily routine measures for the purpose of lifestyle changes. There are tools and techniques that healthcare professionals, and physicians in particular, have at hand which, when adopted, practised, and applied practically, can positively affect adherence. They include, for instance, emotional mirroring, open-ended questions, checking for understanding, and, in general, building a trust-based relationship with the patient.

Keywords: adherence, migraine, psychology, communication, physician-patient relationship, emotional mirroring, open-ended questions, teach back