scholarly journals 0737 Diagnostic Value And Financial Effects Of Recertification Polysomnography In Medicare Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A280-A281
Author(s):  
S E Neill ◽  
R Majid
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
The United States ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Medicare Patients ◽  
Care Costs

Abstract Introduction The annual cost of diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) exceeds 12.4 billion dollars in the United States. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require that after initiation of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy patients have physician follow up and comply with specific requirements. Otherwise, continued PAP benefits are terminated and patients must undergo repeat sleep testing to reinstate therapy. Repeat testing can become an economic burden. We hypothesize that restudying patients prior to reinstating PAP therapy does not change the diagnosis and may only result in increased health care costs. Methods A chart review of polysomnographic studies (PSG) was performed on Medicare referrals made for the purposes of recertification to the Memorial Hermann Sleep center between October 2018 and 2019. Demographic and diagnostic data (including AHI) were collected. The percentage of patients with a change of diagnosis between the initial study and the recertification study was documented. Results 429 Medicare patients were referred for polysomnography. 34 patients were referred for PAP recertification. The average age in the recertification group was 65 years, 47% were male with an average BMI of 33.4 kg/m2. The average AHI on the recertification study was 33.5 events/hour (range 7-114). None of the patients sent for PAP recertification by polysomnography had a negative study for OSA. Conclusion Repeat PSG did not change the need for PAP therapy in patients originally diagnosed with OSA (all the patients continued to qualify). The mandatory referral of all patients who do not meet the CMS requirements for continued benefits for PAP, represents an extra cost to the health care system without a change in the clinical therapy. This money may better be utilized in providing patient education known to improve adherence to PAP. Support N/A

scholarly journals Assessment of Patient Journey Metrics for Users of a Digital Obstructive Sleep Apnea Program: Single-Arm Feasibility Pilot Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefali Kumar ◽  
Emma Rudie ◽  
Cynthia Dorsey ◽  
Amy Blase ◽  
Adam V Benjafield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
The United States ◽  
Attrition Rate ◽  
Apnea Test ◽  
Patient Journey ◽  
Therapy Initiation ◽  
Obstructive Sleep

BACKGROUND Despite the importance of diagnosis and treatment, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains a vastly underdiagnosed condition; this is partially due to current OSA identification methods and a complex and fragmented diagnostic pathway. OBJECTIVE This prospective, single-arm, multistate feasibility pilot study aimed to understand the journey in a nonreferred sample of participants through the fully remote OSA screening and diagnostic and treatment pathway, using the Primasun Sleep Apnea Program (formally, Verily Sleep Apnea Program). METHODS Participants were recruited online from North Carolina and Texas to participate in the study entirely virtually. Eligible participants were invited to schedule a video telemedicine appointment with a board-certified sleep physician who could order a home sleep apnea test (HSAT) to be delivered to the participant's home. The results were interpreted by the sleep physician and communicated to the participant during a second video telemedicine appointment. The participants who were diagnosed with OSA during the study and prescribed a positive airway pressure (PAP) device were instructed to download an app that provides educational and support-related content and access to personalized coaching support during the study’s 90-day PAP usage period. Surveys were deployed throughout the study to assess baseline characteristics, prior knowledge of sleep apnea, and satisfaction with the program. RESULTS For the 157 individuals who were ordered an HSAT, it took a mean of 7.4 (SD 2.6) days and median 7.1 days (IQR 2.0) to receive their HSAT after they completed their first televisit appointment. For the 114 individuals who were diagnosed with OSA, it took a mean of 13.9 (SD 9.6) days and median 11.7 days (IQR 10.1) from receiving their HSAT to being diagnosed with OSA during their follow-up televisit appointment. Overall, the mean and median time from the first televisit appointment to receiving an OSA diagnosis was 21.4 (SD 9.6) days and 18.9 days (IQR 9.2), respectively. For those who were prescribed PAP therapy, it took a mean of 8.1 (SD 9.3) days and median 6.0 days (IQR 4.0) from OSA diagnosis to PAP therapy initiation. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the possibility of a highly efficient, patient-centered pathway for OSA workup and treatment. Such findings support pathways that could increase access to care, reduce loss to follow-up, and reduce health burden and overall cost. The program’s ability to efficiently diagnose patients who otherwise may have not been diagnosed with OSA is important, especially during a pandemic, as the United States shifted to remote care models and may sustain this direction. The potential economic and clinical impact of the program’s short and efficient journey time and low attrition rate should be further examined in future analyses. Future research also should examine how a fast and positive diagnosis experience impacts success rates for PAP therapy initiation and adherence. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04599803; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04599803

scholarly journals What We Know so far about Obstructive Sleep Apnea Management: A Review Article

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
Faris F. Alhejaili
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Health Care Use ◽  
Treatment Needs ◽  
Obstructive Sleep

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disordered breathing condition. It is well recognized as a major risk factor for multiple medical conditions and poor quality of life. It has a great burden on health care resources and a substantial increase in health care use costs. Unfortunately, despite the prevalence, it is widely recognized that it remains under-diagnosed. Effective treatment needs a comprehensive management plan approach that considers the patient as the centerpiece of management. Regular monitoring and a detailed follow up can have an impact on adherence to therapy. A constant and regular follow up can shed some light on patients who are not compliant with therapy and offer them with alternative therapeutic options that suits them better whenever feasible. In this review, we aim to shed some light on where we are in terms of obstructive sleep apnea management strategies and options available to each individual patient.

scholarly journals Distance to Specialist Medical Care and Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Rural Saskatchewan

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Spagnuolo ◽  
Michael McIsaac ◽  
James Dosman ◽  
Chandima Karunanayake ◽  
Punam Pahwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Epidemiologic Study ◽  
Travel Distance ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Travel Distances

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-disordered breathing condition. Patients with OSA symptoms are often not diagnosed clinically, which is a concern, given the health and safety risks associated with unmanaged OSA. The availability of fewer practicing medical specialists combined with longer travel distances to access health care services results in barriers to diagnosis and treatment in rural communities. This study aimed to (1) determine whether the proportion of adults reporting OSA symptoms in the absence of a sleep apnea diagnosis in rural populations varied by travel distance to specialist medical care and (2) assess whether any distance-related patterns were attributable to differences in the frequency of diagnosis among adults who likely required this specialist medical care. We used a cross-sectional epidemiologic study design, augmented by analysis of follow-up survey data. Our study base included adults who completed a 2010 baseline questionnaire for the Saskatchewan Rural Health Study. Follow-up occurred until 2015. 6525 adults from 3731 households constituted our sample. Statistical models used log-binomial regression. Rural adults who reported the largest travel distances (≥250 km) to specialist medical care were 1.17 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.29) times more likely to report OSA symptoms in the absence of a sleep apnea diagnosis than those who reported the smallest (<100 km; referent) distances. However, the proportion of sleep apnea diagnoses was low and unaffected by reported travel distance among adults who likely required this specialist medical care. Our findings suggest factors other than travel distance may be contributing to the low sleep apnea diagnostic rate. This remains important as undiagnosed and untreated OSA has serious implications on the health of people and populations, but effective treatments are available. Health care access barriers to the diagnosis and treatment of OSA require evaluation to inform health care planning and delivery.

Improvement in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Super Morbidly Obese Patients After Bariatric Surgery

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (8) ◽  
pp. 725-728
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Apnea Hypopnea Index ◽  
Morbidly Obese ◽  
Obese Patients ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Objective Evidence

Background: Lifestyle modification is the mainstay therapy for obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, most of these patients are unable to lose the necessary weight, and bariatric surgery (BS) has been proven to be an effective modality in selected cases. Objective: To provide objective evidence that BS can improve OSA severity. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted in super morbidly obese patients (body mass index [BMI] greater than 40 kg/m² or BMI greater than 35 kg/m² with uncontrolled comorbidities) scheduled for BS. Polysomnography (PSG) was performed for preoperative assessment and OSA was treated accordingly. After successful surgery, patients were invited to perform follow-up PSG at 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: Twenty-four patients with a mean age of 35.0±14.0 years were enrolled. After a mean follow-up period of 7.8±3.4 months, the mean BMI, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) significantly decreased from 51.6±8.7 to 38.2±6.8 kg/m² (p<0.001), from 8.7±5.9 to 4.7±3.5 (p=0.003), and from 87.6±38.9 to 28.5±21.5 events/hour (p<0.001), respectively. Conclusion: BS was shown to dramatically improve clinical and sleep parameters in super morbidly obese patients. Keywords: Morbid obesity, Bariatric surgery, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

4-Year Follow-up of Treatment With Dental Appliance or Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

CHEST Journal ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Louise Walker-Engström ◽  
Åke Tegelberg ◽  
Bo Wilhelmsson ◽  
Ivar Ringqvist
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Dental Appliance

scholarly journals The Worsening of Positional Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea over Time Is Associated with an Increase in Body Weight: Impact on Blood Pressure and Autonomic Nervous System

Respiration ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Wei-Hsiu Chang ◽  
Hsien-Chang Wu ◽  
Chou-Chin Lan ◽  
Yao-Kuang Wu ◽  
Mei-Chen Yang
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Positional Dependency ◽  
Over Time

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Most patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are positional dependent. Although mild OSA worsens over time, no study has assessed the natural course of positional mild OSA. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural course of positional mild OSA, its most valuable progression predictor, and its impact on blood pressure (BP) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This retrospective observational cohort study enrolled 86 patients with positional mild OSA and 26 patients with nonpositional mild OSA, with a follow-up duration of 32.0 ± 27.6 months and 37.6 ± 27.8 months, respectively. Polysomnographic variables, BP, and ANS functions were compared between groups at baseline and after follow-up. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In patients with positional mild OSA after follow-up, the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) increased (9.1 ± 3.3/h vs. 22.0 ± 13.2/h, <i>p</i> = 0.000), as did the morning systolic BP (126.4 ± 13.3 mm Hg vs. 130.4 ± 15.9 mm Hg, <i>p</i> = 0.011), and the sympathetic activity (49.4 ± 12.3% vs. 55.3 ± 13.1%, <i>p</i> = 0.000), while the parasympathetic activity decreased (50.6 ± 12.3% vs. 44.7 ± 13.1%, <i>p</i> = 0.000). The body mass index changes were the most important factor associated with AHI changes among patients with positional mild OSA (Beta = 0.259, adjust <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.056, <i>p</i> = 0.016, 95% confidence interval 0.425 and 3.990). The positional dependency disappeared over time in 66.3% of patients with positional mild OSA while 69.2% of patients with nonpositional mild OSA retained nonpositional. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In patients with positional mild OSA, disease severity, BP, and ANS regulation worse over time. Increased weight was the best predictor for its progression and the loss of positional dependency. Better treatments addressing weight control and consistent follow-up are needed for positional mild OSA.

Rapid maxillary expansion in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: 12-month follow-up

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pia Villa ◽  
Caterina Malagola ◽  
Jacopo Pagani ◽  
Marilisa Montesano ◽  
Alessandra Rizzoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽  
Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽  
Rapid Maxillary Expansion ◽  
Maxillary Expansion ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Apnea Syndrome

Maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnancies with obstructive sleep apnea

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eloise Passarella ◽  
Nicholas Czuzoj-Shulman ◽  
Haim A. Abenhaim
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Study Interval ◽  
United States Healthcare

Abstract Objectives Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to many health comorbidities. We aimed to ascertain if OSA correlates with a rise in poor obstetrical outcomes. Methods Employing the United States’ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project – National Inpatient Sample, we performed our retrospective cohort study including all women who delivered between 2006 and 2015. ICD-9 codes were used to characterize women as having a diagnosis of OSA. Temporal trends in pregnancies with OSA were studied, baseline features were evaluated among gravidities in the presence and absence of OSA, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized in assessing consequences of OSA on patient and newborn outcomes. Results Of a total 7,907,139 deliveries, 3,115 belonged to patients suffering from OSA, resulting in a prevalence of 39 per 100,000 deliveries. Rates rose from 10.14 to 78.12 per 100,000 deliveries during the study interval (p<0.0001). Patients diagnosed with OSA were at higher risk of having pregnancies with preeclampsia, OR 2.2 (95% CI 2.0–2.4), eclampsia, 4.1 (2.4–7.0), chorioamnionitis, 1.4 (1.2–1.8), postpartum hemorrhage, 1.4 (1.2–1.7), venous thromboembolisms, 2.7 (2.1–3.4), and to deliver by caesarean section, 2.1 (1.9–2.3). Cardiovascular and respiratory complications were also more common among these women, as was maternal death, 4.2 (2.2–8.0). Newborns of OSA patients were at elevated risk of being premature, 1.3 (1.2–1.5) and having congenital abnormalities, 2.3 (1.7–3.0). Conclusions Pregnancies with OSA were linked to an elevated risk of poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. During pregnancy, OSA patients should receive attentive follow-up care in a tertiary hospital.

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