Efficacy of Smartphone Based Digital Application in Improving Headache Related Parameters in Patients With Migraine

July 4, 2026 updated by: Arunmozhimaran Elavarasi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Efficacy of Smartphone Based Digital Application to Track Migraine, Offer Pill Reminders and Community Blog in Improving Headache Related Parameters as Compared to Paper Pen Diary in Patients With Migraine - Cross Over RCT

Migraine is a common headache disorder and affects 1 in 5 adults during their lifetime. It is a disorder which leads to significantly impaired quality of life, absence from work, loss of productivity in workplace and reduced vitality in social functioning. One of the important cornerstones in the management of migraine is the maintenance of a good headache diary. A headache diary enables the physician to understand the headache characteristics as well to establish the triggers causing the precipitation of episodes. The other important measure to ensure good outcomes is compliance to medications in those who have been prescribed prophylaxis. Migraine prophylaxis is by pills that have to be taken everyday at fixed time to ensure best outcomes. However, it is known that patients with migraine often are not adherent to prophylactic medications. A meta-analysis of 33 studies found that observational studies (n = 14) showed adherence ranging from 41% to 95% at 2 months after initiation of medication and 21% to 80% at 6 months. Pooled rates of persistence derived from 19 RCTs on propranolol, amitriptyline, and topiramate showed adherence rates of 77%, 55%, and 57%, respectively, at 16-26 weeks of initiation. The real world adherence is expected to be lower than that in the ideal settings of randomized trials. Regular pill reminders issued through smartphone based applications can improve medication adherence and thus improve headache outcomes. Though smartphone based migraine tracker digital applications are available, they mostly are aimed at capturing headache characteristics. The efficacy of providing pill reminders along with patient educational materials and community blog to enable migraineurs share their experiences with each other has not been studied in controlled trials. It is known that patients who are well informed about their chronic diseases such as migraine often have better outcomes. Busy clinicians often resort to providing pamphlets regarding the disease, triggers, acute pain relief medications, prophylactic therapy etc. However, it is yet to be studied if a digital application with all these inbuilt features, which are easily accessible at the finger tips would lead to better information uptake and improved compliance and self management. This RCT would try to assess this gap in knowledge.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Migraine is a common headache disorder which leads to significantly impaired quality of life, absence from work, loss of productivity in workplace and reduced vitality in social functioning. A structured migraine diary can be a valuable aid for improving communication between patients and physicians regarding migraine disability and treatment outcomes. The other possible measure to ensure improved outcome in migraine patients is better adherence to prophylactic treatment of migraine. Migraine prophylaxis is by pills that have to be taken every day at fixed time to ensure best outcomes. However, it is known that patients with migraine often are not adherent to prophylactic medications. Regular pill reminders issued through smartphone based applications may help improve medication adherence and hence, headache outcomes. Though smartphone based migraine tracker digital applications are available, they mostly are aimed at capturing headache characteristics. The efficacy of providing pill reminders along with patient educational materials and community blog to enable migraineurs share their experiences with each other has not been studied in controlled trials. It is known that patients who are well informed about their chronic diseases such as migraine often have better outcomes. Busy clinicians often resort to providing pamphlets regarding the disease, triggers, acute pain relief medications, prophylactic therapy etc. However, it is yet to be studied if a digital application with all these inbuilt features, which are easily accessible at the finger tips would lead to better information uptake and improved compliance and self management. This RCT would try to assess this gap in knowledge.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
403

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • India
    • National Capital Territory of Delhi
      • New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India, 110029
        • All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients attending neurology OPD.
  • At least 18 years of age; any gender.
  • Episodic or chronic migraine diagnosed (using International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 (ICHD-3) .
  • No modifications to the prophylactic therapy or acute pain relief medications is planned over the next 3 months.
  • Can read and write in Hindi or English easily.
  • Have an Android/iOS smart phone in which digital application can be installed and who knows how to operate smart phone.
  • Ready to provide consent and willing to adhere to protocol and comply with follow up visits.
  • No major neurological or systemic medical condition that reduces life expectancy to less than 1 year based on clinical prediction scores.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not willing to adhere to protocol.
  • Not willing to provide consent.
  • Inability or unwillingness to complete diary recording.
  • Patients with Medication over use headache ( as per ICHD -3).
  • Other primary headaches and secondary headache disorders.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Smart phone based digital app arm
Digital smartphone application which tracks migraine and to offers pill reminders for medication adherence and community blog and disease related educational material for migraineurs will be given to the patients
Behavioral: Smartphone based digital application
Smartphone Based Digital Application to Track Migraine, Offer Pill Reminders for Medication Adherence and Community Blog
Other Names:
  • Paper pen diary
Active Comparator: Paper and pen diary arm
Clinic based education and traditional paper-pen diary will be administered in tracking headache parameters
Behavioral: Smartphone based digital application
Smartphone Based Digital Application to Track Migraine, Offer Pill Reminders for Medication Adherence and Community Blog
Other Names:
  • Paper pen diary

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in HIT-6 (Headache impact test-6) score
Time Frame: 4 weeks
To compare the change in HIT-6 (Headache impact test-6 ranges from 36-78 with a higher score indicating greater severity) score from baseline to 4 weeks after introduction of the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Reduction in headache days
Time Frame: 4 weeks
To compare the percentage of patients reporting 30 % or more reduction in headache days at 4 weeks following introduction of digital smart phone based application vs paper-pen diary .
4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Compliance
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The proportion of patients who comply with using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Number of headache days per 28 days
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The number of headache days per 28 days following usage of digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Change in number of headache days per 28 days from baseline
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The change from baseline in number of headache days per 28 days following usage of digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary .
4 weeks
change from baseline in the number of days with severe headaches per 28 days
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The change from baseline in the number of days with severe headaches in the preceding 4 weeks as compared with baseline in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Change from baseline in the duration of headache episodes in the preceding 4 weeks
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The change from baseline in the duration of headache episodes in the preceding 4 weeks as compared with baseline in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary
4 weeks
Headache severity on VAS (Visual analogue scale)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Headache severity on VAS scale (0-10 with higher score meaning greater pain) in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary
4 weeks
Change from baseline in severity of headache on VAS scale (Visual analogue scale)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Change from baseline in severity of headache on VAS scale (0-10 with higher score meaning greater pain) in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary
4 weeks
Number of headache episodes needing rescue medication
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The number of headache episodes needing rescue medication in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Change from baseline in need for rescue medication
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Change from baseline in number of headache episodes needing acute pain relief medications in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Omission rates
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Omission rates in daily diary entries in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks
Triggers
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Factors that trigger the onset of headaches (like specific foods, sleep deprivation, travel, etc) in patients using the digital smartphone based application vs paper-pen diary.
4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 25, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 18, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 29, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 30, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IECPG-299/28.04.2021

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

On reasonable request from the investigator through our AIIMS Institute ethics committee, the individual participant data will be made available to other researchers

IPD Sharing Time Frame

will be available within 6 weeks for as long as suggested by our institute ethics committee

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Request to be made through the Institute ethics committee and would be processed as per Institute rules

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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