Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation in a primary care setting: effects on quality of life and utilization measures in multimorbidity patients with or without primary headache.

A patient audit was conducted in the UK to evaluate the impact of gammaCore use in multimorbidity patients on quality of life and healthcare resources utilization measures. A total of 233 patients were enrolled and their data was examined over a 1-year period after their gammaCore prescription. Of these patients, 132 (56%) had primary headache disorders while 101 (44%) were patients without a headache disorder (nonheadache patients). The mean age was 49 years, 169 (72%) were female, the mean number of comorbid conditions was 3.1, and the mean baseline EQ-5D score was 0.581. The mean paired difference in EQ-5D index for persistent gammaCore users (ie patients who used gammaCore for at least 40 weeks) was +0.156 at week 40. The mean percentage reductions in number of general practice consults (doctor's office appointments) was -28.5% from baseline mean of 7.31 and, 40.0% from baseline mean of 3.52 for medical codes used. This evidence demonstrates that a significant proportion of these multimorbidity patients on gammaCore remained compliant with the prescribed treatment regimen for an extended period. GammaCore use in multimorbidity patients may be associated with lower costs of care and provide opportunities for pay-for-performance coverage policies.