Kosky et al recently published a study in the Journal of Sleep looking into the effectiveness of a remote model of care for initiating CPAP therapy in regional Western Australia. Remote assistance and advent of telemonitoring for regional patients is important, with the average distance of the regional patients in this study being 979km.
This study appears to compare a fairly robust model of care used in a metro centre (Perth), with a similar model of care utilising teleconsultation, phone calls and remote connectivity of CPAP machines rather than face to face visits.
The authors concluded that “in remote dwelling adults starting CPAP for the treatment of OSA, outcomes using telemedicine were comparable to in-person management in a metropolitan setting.”
This of course is limited to robust models of care performed by experienced sleep scientists and sleep physicians.
We are not entirely surprised by these results. Here at TSGQ, we heavily ustilise remote connectivity, remote support and assistance to aid our patients on therapy. While most of our patients are not remotely located, the convenience of remote monitoring and assistance is valued by our patients while they begin their therapy journey.
