Behavioral Facilitation of Medical Treatment of Headache: Implications of Noncompliance and Strategies for Improving Adherence

Clinical recommendations were gleaned from a review of treatment adherence published in the regular issue of Headache (released in tandem with this supplement). The recommendations include: (1) Nonadherence is prevalent among headache patients, undermines treatment efficacy, and should be considered as a treatment variable; (2) Calling patients to remind them of appointments and recalling those who miss a scheduled appointment are fundamentally the most cost‐effective adherence‐enhancing strategies, insofar as failed appointment‐keeping acts as a ceiling on all future treatment and adherence efforts; (3) Simplified and tailored medication regimens improve adherence (eg, minimized number of medications and dosings, fixed‐dose combinations, cue‐dose training, stimulus control); (4) Screening and management of psychiatric comorbidities, especially depression and anxiety, is encouraged; (5) The concept of self‐efficacy as a modifiable psychological process often can be employed to predict and improve adherence.