Comprehensive management of obstructive sleep apnea by telemedicine: Clinical improvement and cost-effectiveness of a Virtual Sleep Unit. A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disease associated with significant morbidity and high healthcare costs. Information and communication technology could offer cost-effective management options.

Objectives: To evaluate an out-of-hospital Virtual Sleep Unit (VSU) based on telemedicine to manage all patients with suspected OSA, including those with and without continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

Intra- and Inter-Physician Agreement in Therapeutic Decision for Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Background: Large variation in diagnostic procedures and treatment recommendations may hinder the management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and also compromise correct interpretation of the results of multicenter clinical trials, especially in subjects with non-severe OSA. The aim of this study was to analyze the therapeutic decision-making between different sleep physicians in patients with AHI<40events/h.

Methods: Six experienced senior sleep specialists from different sleep centers of Spain were asked to make a therapeutic decision (CPAP treatment) based on anonymized recordings of patients with suspected OSA that has previously performed a sleep study.