Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41468581›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2025

Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Collaborative Treatment With Korean and Western Medicine for Primary Headache Disorders: Protocol for a Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

Jaeseung Kim, Jihwan Yun, Linae Kim, Shiva Raj Acharya, Changyon Han, NamKwen Kim

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jaeseung Kim *College of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0009-0000-1829-3487
Jihwan Yun *College of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0009-0000-4084-7327
Linae KimResearch Institute for Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0009-0006-6888-4203
Shiva Raj AcharyaCollege of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-6902-4436
Changyon HanGraduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-0285-7644
NamKwen KimCollege of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0001-6969-1231

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrimary headache disorders, including migraine and tension-type headache, are among the most prevalent neurological conditions worldwide, significantly contributing to disability and socioeconomic burden. While Western medicine (WM) predominantly focuses on pharmacological symptom management, Korean medicine (KM) emphasizes a holistic, individualized approach using modalities such as acupuncture and herbal medicine. Collaborative treatment, which combines these approaches, has been proposed as an alternative approach; however, robust evidence on its clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness remains limited.

objectiveThis study aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and economic value of collaborative treatment compared with usual care (UC) in patients with primary headache disorders in real-world clinical settings.

methodsThis prospective, 2-arm, multicenter observational study will assess and compare the clinical effectiveness and economic value of collaborative treatment versus UC alone for patients with primary headache disorders. Adults aged ≥19 years with a primary diagnosis of primary headache disorders visiting participating hospitals under South Korea's national collaborative treatment pilot project will be enrolled. Participants will receive either collaborative treatment (integrating WM pharmacotherapy with KM therapies such as acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine) or UC (monodisciplinary care with WM or KM alone) based on informed choice. Clinical and cost-related outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 6 and 12 weeks. Clinical outcomes include monthly headache days, the numeric rating scale, the Headache Impact Test, the EQ-5D-5L, and the EuroQol visual analogue scale. The cost-effectiveness evaluation includes the cost per quality-adjusted life year, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be performed.

resultsThe study protocol was approved by the institutional review boards in July 2025. The study is funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant 202500900001). Participant recruitment commenced in August 2025, aiming to enroll 312 patients across multiple centers. Data collection is currently ongoing and is projected to be completed by December 2027, with results expected to be published in 2028.

conclusionsThis study is designed to generate real-world evidence on whether collaborative treatment yields superior clinical outcomes and greater cost-effectiveness compared to UC for primary headache disorders. The findings are expected to address existing evidence gaps by integrating multidimensional clinical and economic measures, supporting informed decision-making for health policy, and contributing to the advancement of collaborative treatment models for headache management within South Korea's medical system and beyond. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/82819.

Indexed as

Headache Disorders, PrimaryMedicine, Korean TraditionalAcupuncture TherapyAdultCost-Benefit AnalysisFemaleHumansMaleMulticenter Studies as TopicObservational Studies as TopicProspective StudiesRepublic of KoreaTreatment Outcomecollaborative treatmentcost-effectivenessprimary headache disordersQALYquality-adjusted life year

Identifiers

PMID41468581
PMCPMC12811035

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.