To evaluate the healthcare resource use (HRU) and cost of lost productivity due to migraine among Italians with ≥4 monthly migraine days (MMDs), with a focus on those with ≥2 prior preventive treatment failures (TFs).
Data from Italian participants from the survey were used to assess migraine-related HRU and migraine’s impact on work productivity and daily activities using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire. The mean, annualized cost of lost productivity was estimated using the Human Capital Approach and extrapolated to employed Italian population with ≥4 MMDs to calculate the overall migraine-related indirect cost burden in Italy.
Data of 420 participants, enrolled between September 2017 and February 2018, were analyzed (mean age: 38.5 years, 81.2% women, 37.8% with ≥2 TF). During a 6-month period, 57.6% of participants visited general practitioners (mean visits: 4.5), 31.9% neurologists (mean visits: 2.6), and 26.4% headache specialists (mean visits: 2.8). Overall, 32.0% participants had ≥1 emergency room visit (mean visits: 2.8) and 15.0% had ≥1 hospitalization (mean visits: 2.9) because of migraine in the past 12 months. Participants who were employed (N = 215) reported 15.5% absenteeism, 45.3% presenteeism, 53.8% overall work impairment, and 52.6% activity impairment. The mean annualized indirect cost was estimated to be €14,368. The annual indirect cost burden was estimated to be €7.6 billion for the employed Italian population with ≥4 MMDs. The impact of migraine was particularly high among the ≥2 TF subgroup on all parameters. The indirect cost was estimated to be €15,881 (€5,007 attributed to absenteeism).
Migraine-related HRU and indirect costs are high among individuals with ≥4 MMDs (particularly those with ≥2 TF). There is a need for more effective treatments and better management of migraine to reduce the functional and economic burden among this difficult-to-treat population.

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