At-Home Testing for Sleep Apnea: William Noah, MD

“In 5 to 7 days, we can take a person from the referral and have them on cPAP. Then, they go into our monitoring program, which has really made the success in the study between the 2 groups. Our respiratory therapists call them and go through their sleep data with them from the modem and machines and walk them through this process for the next few months to help them long-term.”

Better long term-adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy machines has been seen in patients receiving the therapy as part of care from an integrated sleep practice (ISP) compared to those who received machines from traditional durable medical equipment suppliers (DMEs), found a recent study conducted by Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee.

William Noah, MD, senior author of the study and the director and founder of the Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee, spoke with NeurologyLive about the success his practice has seen in achieving long-term adherence in patients. (Editor’s note: Noah was kind enough to speak with us while snowed in and working at his farm, so he asks that you please excuse his appearance on video.)

Noah discussed 1 program, OSAinHome, that allows for home testing of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). He believes this program has been a driving factor behind the long-term adherence success, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

REFERENCE

Andry JM, Tobin G, Shafin C, Noah W. Positive airway pressure therapy supplied by an integrated sleep practice associated with greater adherence among pre–Medicare-aged patients with sleep-disordered breathing. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021. 17(1):31-36. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.8786