Morristown Medical Center Morristown, New Jersey, United States
Background and Hypothesis: Thirty-five million people annually suffer from migraines in the United States. Migraine with aura is a complication that women experience more than men, 5.3% compared to 1.9%. Hormonal contraception is the most common form of birth control and is given to a significant proportion of reproductive-age women affected by migraines. Even though “Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive use” has been released by the CDC in 2016, it is unclear if providers are adhering to it. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of birth control in different medical conditions with a focus on women with migraines with aura and their confidence after giving them educational materials.
Methods: Pre and post-questionnaires assessed the knowledge of the primary care practitioner in regard to birth control and miscellaneous medical conditions, that the woman may have. The questionnaires and educational materials were given to medical providers who practice in primary care settings. The conditions included in the questionnaire were Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, smoking at ages 35 and above, migraine with aura, and migraine without aura. In between questionaries educational material regarding birth control options, definitions of migraine vs migraine with aura, and other disorders that should use non-estrogen birth control were provided via a PowerPoint Presentation. Providers were also given a URL for them to access “Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive use” from the CDC. The last question of the questionnaire assessed the confidence in their answer choices. After this, a paired t-test was utilized to compare the differences between the pre and post-questionnaire.
Results: Thirteen medical providers answered the survey; only providers from the Morristown Medical Center were able to answer it. Data were analyzed using a paired t-test. It was hypothesized that there would be significant difference in confidence and answer choice accuracy between the two groups. Confidence in the providers' answers was measured on a scale of one to five, starting from not at all to very. The p-value was 0.0019 for confidence. Providers' knowledge was assessed pre and post-implementation of the educational material from the PowerPoint presentation. Each correct answer was given a value of one and the incorrect answer was given a zero; they were then given a cumulative score with the highest attainable score being a five. The p-value was 0.054 for accuracy. The p-value for the significance of this study was 0.05. There was a significant increase in the confidence of the providers when answering the questions after reviewing the PowerPoint presentation.
Conclusion: There was a significant difference in the confidence the providers had after the educational material was presented to them. There was no significant difference in the accuracy of their answers to the questions. There are several weaknesses in the study such as sample size and the way the educational material was presented. In prescribing the proper medications for women who have migraines with aura, there is an important aspect of the interrelationship of structure and function.
Acknowledgement of Research Study Sponsors and IRB: Consistent with Atlantic Health System IRB procedures, the project was determined to not require IRB review and approval.
