Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire is a self-administered form that assesses the impact that migraine has on a patient’s work and social life. Five questions assess the impact in terms of the number of days affected by migraine, while two further questions assess the severity of pain and the frequency of attacks. The patient is graded according to their responses as having minimal (grade I), mild (grade II), moderate (grade III) or severe (grade IV) disability. This MIDAS grade, along with an understanding of the patient’s attack characteristics, enables the physician to better define the patient’s treatment need.

It can be used prior to and at the time of an initial consultation and throughout treatment to monitor the patient’s progress.

The MIDAS tool can be downloaded here: Download (right click & 'save as' to download)  (Adobe PDF format)

What are the benefits of using MIDAS?

• The MIDAS questionnaire promotes patient–physician communication. In addition, it raises the physician’s awareness of the impact of a patient’s migraine and the need for appropriate action.
• Determination of the MIDAS grade allows physicians to stratify patients according to their level of migraine-related disability and, after allowing for the individual needs of each patient, to select an effective management strategy.
• The MIDAS questionnaire allows patients and physicians to monitor a patient’s progress over time. The completion of a follow-up questionnaire 3–6 months after the consultation should show a reduction in the MIDAS score/grade over time, assuming that treatment has been effective.