Digitalisierung in der Kopfschmerzbehandlung

BACKGROUND: Digitalization offers support and innovative approaches in the diagnosis and therapy of headaches. With the German digital health care act (Digitale-Versorgung-Gesetz) it is now possible to integrate this into regular care for the first time. However, it is currently difficult to assess the various offers; quality standards and conclusive studies to determine the efficacy and safety are missing. AIM: Overview of current digital approaches in headache treatment and presentation of two specific examples (App M‑sense and DMKG headache registry). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature research, product information, and presentations by the project managers. RESULTS: Most digital offers for headache treatment are currently headache calendars, mostly as a smartphone app. However, there are also promising extensions (e.g. trigger analysis) and new approaches such as digital instructions for relaxation and endurance sports, chatbots for patients, as well as support for doctors through structured collection of patient data and processing for diagnostic purposes. CONCLUSION: Different digital approaches could support practitioners and patients effectively in headache treatment and therapy guidance in the near future. However, high-quality studies are necessary to evaluate their benefits and efficacy.