Description

The Identification of Migraine Screener (ID Migraine™) is a diagnostic tool used for the rapid identification of the likelihood of migraine in patients. It was designed to assist healthcare professionals in detecting individuals who may suffer from migraines, using a short series of questions.

Analysis

ID Migraine™ includes three key questions assessing the main characteristics of migraines:

Headache lasting from 4 hours to 3 days:
Asks whether the headache persists for a time frame typical of migraines.
Migraine accompanied by nausea and/or sensitivity to light and sound:
Examines whether the patient experiences associated symptoms such as nausea or heightened sensitivity to light and sounds—common in migraine cases.
Frequency of episodes:
Assesses the periodicity or frequency of headaches to aid in diagnosing migraine.
Responses to these questions are typically given in a yes/no format.

Purpose

The purpose of ID Migraine™ is:

Diagnosis:
To support the diagnosis of migraine, especially in cases where a full diagnostic process is difficult due to limited time or resources.
Intervention Strategy:
To guide healthcare professionals toward the need for further evaluation and potential treatment for migraines.
Severity Estimation:
To provide an initial estimate of the likelihood of migraine and assist in the management and monitoring of the condition.

Scoring

Scoring for the ID Migraine™ includes:

Symptom Check:
Each “yes” response contributes to the final score.
Interpretation of Results:
Based on the number of positive responses, a patient may be classified as having a higher or lower risk of migraine, which guides further evaluation or treatment.

References

Lipton, R. B., Stewart, W. F., & Ryan, R. E. (1998). Validation of the Migraine Diagnosis Using a Self-Administered Questionnaire. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 38(6), 373–378.
Stewart, W. F., & Lipton, R. B. (1997). The ID Migraine™ Screener: A Reliable and Valid Tool for Identifying Migraine. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 4(2), 110–114.
Hutchinson, S., & Jones, R. (2004). Screening for Migraine in Primary Care Using the ID Migraine™ Tool. Journal of Clinical Neurology, 1(1), 44–48.