PATIENTS’ initial experiences of sleep apnea CPAP treatment

Bckground: The outpatient follow up on patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the sleep clinic at OUH, Svendborg Hospital (OUHSh) has been reduced.
Aim: To gain insight into OSA patients’ experience of starting up with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), using the telephone hotline on weekdays (12.30-14.30), and online monitoring.
Method: Structured telephone interviews by a nurse were performed in March 2017 with 18 randomly selected OSA patients, who have started CPAP (16:01:17-16:02:17) at OUHSh. The interview guide included questions regarding the patients’ experiences with the machine, mask, telephone hotline, and the online monitoring. The patients gave informed written consent.
Results: 
Age ranges from 26 to 70 years, with an average age of 50 years
Seven patients were satisfied by having the first consultation within 10 days after the start of CPAP (one thought it was too early)
Five patients were satisfied with a consultation later than 10 days after
treatment start (three thought it came too late)
Only two patients out of eight enduring mask leaks used the telephone hotline
Online monitoring was used only by one patient (a woman age 67)
Fifteen patients wanted to use online monitoring in the future
Conclusion:In general patients were satisfied with the time between start-up and the first consultation. There was no connection between the use of hotline and time between start of CPAP and the first follow up. In general, patients with mask leaks didn’t use the hotline. The hotline’s opening hours were a problem for some patients, as it was during their working hours. Updated and adequate information is necessary to help giving the patients the best treatment. Only one used the online monitoring option even though 15 patients thought it was a good idea. The results of the interviews lead to some improvements. The patient information has been updated, and it is now made possibly to use the online program on all the computers at the sleep clinic.