The Challenge of Evidence-Based Migraine Therapy

Abstract

It is important that physicians practise evidence-based medicine. Clinical experience is important, but there are a number of reasons why clinical experience can lead to the impression that ineffective treatments are effective. There are major educational and research challenges which must be met before clinicians can practice evidence-based migraine therapy more extensively than at present. Treating physicians will need to learn more about the principles of evidence-based medicine. Researchers will need to produce more and better clinical trials that address important clinical questions. The results of these trials will need to be reported clearly, and we need to improve the efficiency with which these results can be accessed. It is important that the pharmaceutical industry, clinicians, and academic health centres work together to meet these challenges.