Development and testing of the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire to assess headache-related disability

The MIDAS Questionnaire was developed to assess headache-related disability with the aim of improving migraine care. Headache sufferers answer five qu estions, scoring the number of days, in the past 3 months, of activity limi tations due to migraine. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity (accuracy) of the questionnaire were assessed in separate pop ulation-based studies of migraine sufferers. In addition, the face validity , ease of use, and clinical utility of the questionnaire were evaluated in a group of 49 physicians who independently rated disease severity and need for care in a diverse sample of migraine case histories. The test-retest Pe arson correlation coefficient for the total MIDAS score was approximately 0 .8. The MIDAS score was valid when compared with a reference diary-based me asure of disability; the overall correlation between MIDAS and the diary-ba sed measure was 0.63. The MIDAS score was also correlated with physicians' assessments of need for medical care (r = 0.69). From studies completed to date, the MIDAS Questionnaire has been shown to be internally consistent, h ighly reliable, valid, and correlates with physicians' clinical-judgment. T hese features support its suitability for use in clinical practice. Use of the MIDAS Questionnaire may improve physician-patient communication about h eadache-related disability and may favorably influence health-care delivery for migraine patients.