How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor's

According to our 2018 Migraine In America survey data, 74% of those with migraine had to see more than one doctor before receiving a diagnosis.

What have I learned?

As we know, it can be challenging to advocate for ourselves at the doctor's to get helpful answers and treatments. I want to make a few suggestions in this video of what I've learned over the years can lead to a better treatment outcome and better experience overall.

No need to get out a pen and paper, I'll outline below what I talked about.

How can you advocate for your migraine care?

Here is the outline of my tips:

• Collect data.Take note of your symptoms. How many days do you have migraine symptoms? What is the intensity? What do you do to treat your symptoms? How well does it help? It’s helpful to be able to clearly communicate what is going on.
• Be persistent. Keep bringing up the issue until there is a solution. Being persistent is different than being rude.
• Connect to the community.Others going through the same thing may have insights and ideas.
• Prepare for the appointment. Write down on a piece of paper that you can share with your doctor lists of medications and questions you have. It can be helpful to bring someone with you to appointments as well.
• Figure out their communication style. Some doctors are great on the phone, while others communicate well through the patient portal. Some will welcome a list of questions, others will want to lead the appointment with questions.
• Make sure you’re seeing the right kind of doctor. In our 2018 Migraine in America survey, 48% were diagnosed by a neurologist. There is more than one type of doctor who can treat migraine, though headache specialists are more, well...specialized. Some primary care doctors can be good resources, too, if they are well-versed in migraine.
• Remember: it’s ok to switch doctors. You don’t need to give a reason, and you don’t need to worry about hurt feelings. Don't stick with a doctor if they're not working for you and you have other options.