The effects of frequent follow-up on compliance in patients receiving PAP therapy due to OSA

M. Ozlem Akbay, S. Saraç

Department of Pulmonology, University of Health Sciences, Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. makbuleozlemakbay@gmail.com

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• Respiratory Medicine

OBJECTIVE: We planned to investigate the effect of close monitoring on compliance and the factors affecting compliance among patients receiving positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was a single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled study. Between January 2022 and May 2022, 192 patients who were 18 years of age or older, had been newly diagnosed with OSA, and underwent PAP titration at our sleep laboratory were included in the study.

RESULTS: One hundred twenty-eight patients were randomized as group 1 (study group) and group 2 (control group). There was no correlation between good continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compliance and diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, or allergic rhinitis. However, there was a statistically significant correlation between good CPAP compliance and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.

CONCLUSIONS: Sleeping with such a device will be very difficult and uncomfortable. As observed from previous studies, adherence to CPAP is a critical problem worldwide regardless of geography, education, age, and sex. Telemedicine monitoring may be a good follow-up tool. Nevertheless, the essential tool is interpersonal communication by phone calls, face-to-face computer communication, or frequent visits.

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