title: Patient response to sleep apnea screening in a dental practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated patient response to a recommendation for physician evaluation following screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a dental practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a community-based dental practice in Raleigh, North Carolina, 119 patients were recruited by nonprobability purposive sampling and administered both a validated subjective (STOP questionnaire) and objective (pulse oximeter) screening instrument for OSA. Patients who screened high-risk for OSA on either instrument were recommended to consult their physician within three months. All patients were contacted via telephone after three months to determine if they had consulted a physician regarding their screening results. Multivariate log-binomial models estimated prevalence ratios (PR) and 95 percent confidence limits (95% CL) for physician consultation according to OSA risk, adjusting for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 18.5 percent of patients screened high-risk on the STOP questionnaire alone, 26.1 percent on pulse oximetry alone, and 31.9 percent on both instruments. Follow-up of 111 subjects (93.3%) found that 40 (47.1%) of those high-risk for OSA on one or both instruments sought physician evaluation. Patients who screened high-risk on pulse oximetry were 2.55 times as likely to seek physician evaluation compared with those who screened low-risk on both instruments (PR = 2.55, 95% CL: 1.02, 6.37). Screening high-risk on the STOP questionnaire did not significantly increase the likelihood of physician evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly, half of dental patients who screen high-risk for OSA may be responsive to a recommendation to seek physician evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dillow
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics and Center for Pain Research and Innovation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Essick
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: Orofacial Pain Clinic, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sheats
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brame
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D010092:Oximetry; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: dental hygienists; dental offices; obstructive sleep apnea; risk assessment; sleep apnea syndromes