Walter RJ, et al. – The present study’s objective was to assess changes in healthcare utilization (HCU) following the initiation of therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Findings revealed that diagnosing OSA and initiating positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy resulted in a significant reduction in healthcare resource utilization, however, this decline was greatest among those with higher baseline healthcare usage and those most adherents with therapy.

Methods

• For the purpose of this study, the researchers conducted a retrospective study of newly diagnosed OSA patients.
• They incorporated the sum total of outpatient clinic encounters, laboratory tests, and medication prescriptions into a composite HCU score to evaluate total HCU.
• After that, healthcare utilization for 12 months prior to positive airway pressure (PAP) was compared with 12 months after initiation of therapy.
• Finally, reductions in HCU were correlated with PAP adherence.

Results

• Six hundred fifty consecutive patients were incorporated.
• The results of this study showed that mean age, gender, BMI, AHI, and ESS were 47.2±8.8 years, 77.2% (men), 30.7±4.9 Kg/m², 37.1±30.3, and 13.1±5.1, respectively.
• It was observed in the findings that mean outpatient visits, laboratory studies, medication prescriptions, and HCU composite score were 11.6±10.4, 13.7±11.0, 4.7±3.2, and 29.7±18.6, respectively prior to PAP.
• Following initiation of treatment, a 32.8% decline in non-sleep outpatient visits was identified (p=0.01) and a 16.4% lessening in laboratory studies (p=0.02) was noticed.
• It was noted that there was a 19.9% decrease (p=0.002) in HCU composite score.
• In addition, those who were adherent with PAP had a 25.7% lessening in HCU composite score versus a 4.9% increase in those who discontinued PAP therapy (p<0.001).