Improvement in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Management Wait Times: A Retrospective Analysis of a Home Management Pathway for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Issue 3 (2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stewart, Samuel Alan; Skomro, Robert; Reid, John; Penz, Erika; Fenton, Mark; Gjevre, John; Cotton, David
• Is Part Of: Canadian respiratory journal. Volume 22:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 167
• Page End: 170
• Publication Date: 2015
• Subjects: Monitoring, physiological -- Polysomnography -- Saskatchewan -- Sleep apnea -- Time factors -- Time to treatment; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Canada -- Periodicals; Respiration; Respiratory organs -- Diseases; Canada; Respiratory Tract Diseases -- Periodicals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1155/2015/516580
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1198-2241

Abstract

Abstract : Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition within the Canadian population. The current gold standard for diagnosis and management of patients is in-laboratory (in-lab) polysomnography; however, the limited availability of testing options for patients has led to long wait times and increased disease burden within the population. The Sleep Research Laboratory in Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) implemented a home management program to run in parallel with the in-lab system several years ago in an effort to increase their capacity and reduce wait times. The present study was a retrospective analysis of all patients referred to the program between 2009 and 2012. The home management system has improved wait times by diagnosing and managing up to one-half of the referred patient population, reducing the wait for in-lab treatment from a median of 152 days in 2009 to 92 days in 2012 (P<0.0001). Moving forward, home management can provide a viable alternative to in-lab testing for patients who meet strict entry criteria, reducing the in-lab workload and, ultimately, reducing wait times.