title: Trends in CPAP adherence over twenty years of data collection: a flattened curve.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder, and continuous airway positive pressure (CPAP) is considered to be the gold standard of therapy. CPAP however is known to have problems with adherence, with many patients eventually abandoning the device. The purpose of this paper is to assess secular trends in CPAP adherence over the long term to see if there have been meaningful improvements in adherence in light of the multiple interventions proposed to do so.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted using the Medline-Ovid, Embase, and Pubmed databases, searching for data regarding CPAP adherence over a twenty year timeframe (1994-2015). Data was assessed for quality and then extracted. The main outcome measure was reported CPAP non-adherence. Secondary outcomes included changes in CPAP non-adherence when comparing short versus long-term, and changes in terms of behavioral counseling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two papers met study inclusion/exclusion criteria. The overall CPAP non-adherence rate based on a 7-h/night sleep time that was reported in studies conducted over the twenty year time frame was 34.1 %. There was no significant improvement over the time frame. Behavioral intervention improved adherence rates by ~1 h per night on average.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of CPAP adherence remains persistently low over twenty years worth of reported data. No clinically significant improvement in CPAP adherence was seen even in recent years despite efforts toward behavioral intervention and patient coaching. This low rate of adherence is problematic, and calls into question the concept of CPAP as gold-standard of therapy for OSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Brian W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Dorian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murariu
authors.affiliation: Asia Sleep Centre, Paragon, 290, Orchard Road, Unit 18-04, Singapore, 238859, Singapore. drkpang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kenny P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Pang
mesh_terms: D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Adherence; CPAP; Obstructive sleep apnea; Uvuloplataopharyngoplasty