In the United States and around the world, CPAP compliance is an ongoing problem. Researchers at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona (Unit of Biophysics and Bioengineering), Spain, wanted to know if a telemedicine approach could work as well, or even better, than a face-to-face approach.
“We believe that OSA patients could benefit greatly from a telemedicine approach for CPAP therapy management,” wrote researchers in the new study “Telemedicine-based approach for obstructive sleep apnea management: building evidence”. “The objective of our study was to evaluate the application of a telemedicine-based approach in CPAP therapy management, focusing on patients’ CPAP follow-up and training.”
Ultimately, more than 95% (49/50) of the interviewed patients were satisfied with teleconsultation, and 66% (33/50) answered that teleconsultation could replace 50% to 100% of their CPAP follow-up visits.
“OSA patients gave a positive feedback about the use of teleconsultation for CPAP follow-up, and the CPAP training based on a telemedicine approach proved to be as effective as face-to-face training,” concluded researchers. “These results support the use of this telemedicine-based approach as a valuable strategy for patients’ CPAP training and clinical follow-up.”
