Scientific Investigations
A Brief Survey of Patients' First Impression after CPAP Titration Predicts Future CPAP Adherence: A Pilot Study
http://dx.doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.2476
Jay S. Balachandran, M.D.1; Xiaohong Yu, M.D.2; Kristen Wroblewski, M.S.3; Babak Mokhlesi, M.D., M.Sc., F.A.A.S.M.1
1Sleep Disorders Center, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine; 2Department of Psychiatry; 3Department of Health Studies, Biostatistics Laboratory, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Background:
CPAP adherence patterns are often established very early in the course of therapy. Our objective was to quantify patients' perception of CPAP therapy using a 6-item questionnaire administered in the morning following CPAP titration. We hypothesized that questionnaire responses would independently predict CPAP adherence during the first 30 days of therapy.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the CPAP perception questionnaires of 403 CPAP-naïve adults who underwent in-laboratory titration and who had daily CPAP adherence data available for the first 30 days of therapy. Responses to the CPAP perception questionnaire were analyzed for their association with mean CPAP adherence and with changes in daily CPAP adherence over 30 days.
Results:
Patients were aged 52 ± 14 years, 53% were women, 54% were African American, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 36.3 ± 9.1 kg/m2, and most patients had moderate-severe OSA. Four of 6 items from the CPAP perception questionnaire— regarding difficulty tolerating CPAP, discomfort with CPAP pressure, likelihood of wearing CPAP, and perceived health benefit—were significantly correlated with mean 30-day CPAP adherence, and a composite score from these 4 questions was found to be internally consistent. Stepwise linear regression modeling demonstrated that 3 variables were significant and independent predictors of reduced mean CPAP adherence: worse score on the 4-item questionnaire, African American race, and non-sleep specialist ordering polysomnogram and CPAP therapy. Furthermore, a worse score on the 4-item CPAP perception questionnaire was consistently associated with decreased mean daily CPAP adherence over the first 30 days of therapy.
Conclusions:
In this pilot study, responses to a 4-item CPAP perception questionnaire administered to patients immediately following CPAP titration independently predicted mean CPAP adherence during the first 30 days. Further prospective validation of this questionnaire in different patient populations is warranted.
Commentary:
A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 207.
Citation:
Balachandran JS; Yu X; Wroblewski K; Mokhlesi B. A brief survey of patients' first impression after CPAP titration predicts future CPAP adherence: a pilot study. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(3):199-205.
Please login to continue reading the full article
Subscribers to JCSM get full access to current and past issues of the JCSM.
Login to JCSM
Not a subscriber?
Join the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and receive a subscription to JCSM with your membership