Using Telemedicine to Improve Veteran Sleep Apnea Care

Background:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in the Veteran population given the risk factors of male gender, being overweight, and increasing age. OSA is caused by upper airway obstruction, resulting in arousals from sleep and hypoxia. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a highly efficacious treatment for OSA, compliance with treatment is suboptimal. Because research shows that adherence patterns are established early in treatment, we seek to use a technology that enables early and frequent productive interactions between patient and provider

Objectives:

The objective of this proposal is to explore the feasibility and initially evaluate the potential efficacy of a video teleconferencing system for patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSA) that facilitates patient- centered, collaborative management for patients who are prescribed the gold-standard treatment, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Methods: