Adherence to Positive Airway Pressure in Law Enforcement Officers with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Role of Telemedicine Strategies

2018 Strategic Research Grant

Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD
University of Pennsylvania

Key Project Outcome

We conducted this study in law enforcement officers (LEOs) who worked in a large urban setting. This group has been shown to be at very high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with subsequent daytime sleepiness and impaired occupational performance. Despite these risks, data have also shown that LEOs are less likely to seek medical care, and their OSA tends to remain largely unidentified and untreated. We aimed to screen and treat LEOs for OSA by using telemedicine strategies rather than in-person, traditional, office-based visits, with the goal of improving sleepiness and healthcare costs. We were able to successfully screen and enroll a group of LEOs who agreed to use PAP therapy; support their adherence to PAP during an 18-month period; and assess the impact of treatment on daytime sleepiness, measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Score, and on healthcare costs, which included costs of inpatient and outpatient visits, as well as medications. Those who used PAP therapy consistently experienced larger reductions in their level of daytime sleepiness, and had a large reduction in healthcare costs.