Tracing the complete journey of patient compliance in obstructive sleep apnea management: a 12-year retrospective study on diagnosis, device adherence, and treatment outcomes

The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea is rising globally, with significant health repercussions. Current research falls short in chronicling the complete trajectory of obstructive sleep apnea management, specifically, the intricacies of patient adherence to device therapy post-diagnosis. This study aims to bridge the gap, providing a detailed analysis of the journey from diagnosis to consistent therapeutic device use, and identifying potential delays and patterns of adherence. A retrospective observational study was conducted at Rashid Hospital’s sleep study lab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, spanning from 2010 to 2022 and encompassing 1,949 patients. The study population consisted of all patients referred for sleep testing on the basis of a high clinical suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea. Data were extracted from the hospital’s Healthcare Information System, focusing on demographics, sleep study results, and device usage patterns. Data were analyzed using Python’s Pandas library to evaluate compliance and treatment efficacy. The study revealed that 83.4% of patients visiting the sleep lab were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Of these, 39.6% purchased a therapeutic device, but only 19.7% of the total population adhered to the recommended device usage. Treatment reduced the Apnea-Hypopnea Index to below 5 in 26.5% of the total patient cohort. An increasing trend in OSA diagnoses was observed over the years, with patients experiencing an average delay of 1.3 years before initiating therapy. The study addresses a significant gap by detailing the patient journey from obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis to treatment, highlighting device acquisition delays and adherence challenges. It underscores the need for integrated care models considering socioeconomic factors and patient education to improve outcomes for obstructive sleep apnea.