Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea: impact of patient education after a longer treatment period.
BACKGROUND
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) but it is often cumbersome so that adherence to CPAP therapy is limited.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated adherence to CPAP therapy after an additional educative intervention in OSA patients after a longer treatment period.


METHODS
A short patient information program covering many aspects of symptoms, consequences and treatment of OSA was created, and standardized information sessions were developed to be given by an experienced sleep physician to >6,000 participants of patient support group meetings throughout Germany. They also received a booklet containing the essential information of the lectures. Of the 526 randomly selected members of these support groups receiving the anonymized questionnaire by mail, 475 CPAP patients sent the questionnaire back. Of these CPAP patients, 243 participated in a lecture und and had received a booklet (information group) and 232 CPAP patients had not attended a lecture (control group).


RESULTS
In the information group, a significantly higher daily usage of CPAP devices (6.9 +/- 0.9 h/day) was reported compared with the control group (5.7 +/- 1.3 h/day; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the score in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was found to be significantly lower in the information group (median ESS = 6, interquartile range, IQR, 4-8 vs. median = 11, IQR 8-13; p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who attended our short information program showed a higher daily usage and a lower subjective daytime sleepiness. These results suggest that patients on CPAP therapy may benefit from education even after a longer treatment period.
Medical Department 1, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. florian.fuchs@uk-erlangen.de
Florian S
FS
Fuchs
Adriano
A
Pittarelli
Eckhart G
EG
Hahn
Joachim H
JH
Ficker
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome