The neurologists who got enough – start digital migraine clinic

Patients with chronic migraine are a group of patients who find it difficult to get help at specialist clinics. Several experienced neurologists who worked with a focus on migraines had enough and are now taking care of patients at a newly started digital migraine clinic, Migränhjälpen, to make migraine care more efficient.

– I have a 2-year waiting period for my migraine patients and a ceiling in my agreement with the county council which makes it impossible to work off gender. We have a patient group with chronic migraine patients that is estimated at 200,000 in Sweden and only 5-10% of these receive adequate investigation and treatment because there is such a shortage of neurologists with an interest in headache problems, says Johan Nyberg, neurologist and founder of Migraine Aid.

The effective treatment that currently exists for these patients may only be prescribed by neurologists, which means that only a few can take part in the research and development in the field of medicine that is available because patients are not allowed to see a neurologist. The care of migraine patients is largely based on anamnesis, headache diaries and a review of previous effects on various treatments. This means that it is well suited for digital meetings where a computer and algorithm can help with the first triage.

When new digital clinics began to open, the opportunity was seen to streamline care for this patient group. Johan Nyberg sat in the summer of 2019 and built an algorithm to be able to get a more efficient anamnesis and decision basis. Together with the investor Add Health Media, other entrepreneurs and friends who invested in the idea, the world’s first digital migraine clinic was built, which was now launched in August 2020. More experienced neurologists, including migraine expert Ulf Frejvall, chose to jump in because they were tired of seeing migraine patients suffer. All migraine patients, regardless of place of residence in Sweden, can be accepted and a patient fee of SEK 200 or a free card applies. Patients download the Migraine Aid’s app and can complete the visit via an algorithm, chat with a neurologist and then continue to fill in a headache diary. Patients are then prescribed adequate treatment and monitored continuously over a long period of time.

– We have received inquiries from politicians who want to see improved migraine care because the cost to society is enormous with an estimated 9,500 full-time years in sick leave per year. Now we have the opportunity to streamline the care of this patient group and we are looking for more talented employees, both headache nurses and neurologists, says Johan Nyberg.

For contact:

Johan Nyberg , neurologist and founder of Migränhjälpen, johan.nyberg@stortorgetsneurologmottagning , 073-4282759

Mattias Bodin , CEO of Migränhjälpen, [email protected] , 070-6895377

Johan Bloom , Investor and CEO of Add Health Media, [email protected] , 0733-648490