RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Web-based follow-up of CPAP compliance in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A pilot study
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p2202
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Isetta, Valentina
A1 Leon, Carmen
A1 Farre, Ramon
A1 Montserrat, Josep Maria
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2202.abstract
AB Introduction: Despite its fast penetration in many fields, the application of information and communication technologies in the clinical practice is still very limited, especially in respiratory medicine. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a disease in which, because of its prevalence and chronic nature, telemedicine has a great potential.Objective: To develop and to assess the feasibility of a web-based follow-up of continuous positive pressure airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in OSAS patients.Methods: An easy-structured web site was created for this study and each patient was given access to his/her own data exclusively. By visiting the web site, patients could answer to a weekly questionnaire about symptoms, sleep quality, potential CPAP side effects, physical activity and body weight, having the patient access to continuously updated temporal trends in graphical format. Moreover, informative documents about OSAS and CPAP therapy were available to free download.Results: On a total of 163 consecutive patients of the Sleep Clinic, 66 reported minimum knowledge of the Internet and agreed to participate. After 12 weeks of monitoring, the participation rate was high (82%). In addition, patients responded to a satisfaction survey through the website, showing a level of agreement to the statement “Overall I am satisfied with the web service” of 4.3±0.58 points (1 = I strongly disagree, 5 = I strongly agree) and their potential interest in participating in a long-term web-based monitoring.Conclusions: The results of this pilot study show the potential usefulness of the Internet as a tool for home monitoring of OSAS patients and CPAP compliance improvement.