Research Priorities in Ambulatory Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Workshop

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The application seeks partial financial support for a workshop on research priorities in the[unreadable] ambulatory management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to be held on October 15-16, 2007[unreadable] in Washington, DC. Moderate to severe OSA is estimated to affect 4% of adult females and 9%[unreadable] of adult males in the US and a large majority of these individuals are undiagnosed. A large[unreadable] body of data now supports that OSA is an independent risk factor for motor vehicle accidents,[unreadable] neurocognitive deficits, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Substantial evidence also[unreadable] supports that appropriate treatment of OSA reduces the risk of these consequences. However[unreadable] there is a major problem with patient access to diagnosis and treatment of OSA based on the[unreadable] need to perform costly and labor-intensive polysomnography in a sleep laboratory.[unreadable] Technological improvements may allow for the use of simplified portable monitor testing for[unreadable] OSA in diverse settings, including unattended home recordings. Such an approach might[unreadable] reduce cost and increase patient access to testing, leading to earlier recognition of disease and[unreadable] faster initiation of treatment, thereby reducing the health care burden associated with OSA.[unreadable] Interest in the clinical application of portable monitor devices is growing rapidly, and in some[unreadable] contexts, portable monitoring has become a mainstay approach to the management of OSA.[unreadable] Despite the intuitive appeal of portable monitor testing, validation data remain limited. A recent[unreadable] report from the Institute of Medicine and evidence based reviews from AHRQ and professional[unreadable] societies find major deficiencies particularly with regard to unattended home portable monitor[unreadable] testing. The planned workshop on research priorities in ambulatory management of OSA is a[unreadable] direct response to these reports. The workshop will bring together diverse stakeholders with[unreadable] interest in portable monitor testing to establish the research priorities regarding portable monitor[unreadable] testing and develop specific recommendations regarding methodological issues in this critical[unreadable] area. We submit that this workshop is an essential ?next step? to ensuring that there is[unreadable] substantive advancement of scientific knowledge in this important field.