Telemedicine-based proactive patient management during positive airway pressure therapy

• Published in: Somnologie : Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin = Somnology : sleep research and sleep medicine 2017-06, Vol.21 (2), p.121-127
• Main Authors: Woehrle, Holger, Ficker, Joachim H, Graml, Andrea, Fietze, Ingo, Young, Peter, Teschler, Helmut, Arzt, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Continuous positive airway pressure; Health care policy; Patients; Remote searching; Sleep apnea; Telemedicine
• ISSN: 1432-9123; 1439-054X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11818-016-0098-9

BackgroundAdherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is essential for the benefits of therapy to be realised. Telemedicine-based strategies provide a new option for enhanced monitoring and intervention to promote adherence during PAP. This study investigated the impact of telemedicine-based proactive patient management on PAP therapy termination rates versus standard care.MethodsObservational data were obtained from ResMed Germany Healthcare, a German homecare provider. Patients were undergoing routine homecare using either a standard or proactive management strategy. The proactive strategy used data from AirView™, a cloud-based remote monitoring system, to prompt patient contact and information sharing/education. Patients receiving their first PAP therapy were included and analysed in matched pairs.ResultsIn all, 3401 patients were included in each group. In the first year of PAP therapy, overall therapy termination rate was significantly lower (5.4% vs 11.0%; p < 0.001) and time to therapy termination was significantly longer (348 ± 58 vs 337 ± 76 days; p < 0.05) in the proactive versus standard care group. Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed a significantly reduced risk of PAP termination in the proactive versus the standard care group (hazard ratio 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.4–0.57). Findings were consistent in subanalyses according to gender, type of device and insurance status, and in patients aged ≥40 years. However, in the subgroup of patients aged younger than 40 years, the risk of PAP termination was similar in the proactive and standard groups.ConclusionA telemedicine-based proactive management strategy compared with standard care of PAP patients was associated with a lower long-term therapy termination rate.