A Randomized Controlled Trial of Telemedicine for Long-Term Sleep Apnea Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Management

Rationale: The effects of telemedicine on adherence in patients with obstructive sleep apnea with long-term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use have never been investigated. Objectives: To examine effects of a telemedicine intervention on adherence in long-term CPAP users. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, multicenter noninferiority trial conducted in 17 sleep centers across Japan, patients who had used CPAP for >3 months and were receiving face-to-face follow-up by physicians every 1 or 2 months were randomized by a coordinating center in a blind manner to the following three groups: 1) follow-up every 3 months accompanied by a monthly telemedicine intervention (telemedicine group: TM-group), 2) follow-up every 3 months (3-month group: 3M-group), or 3) monthly follow-up (1-month group: 1M-group). Each group was followed up for 6 months. The change in percentage of days with >= 4 h/night of CPAP use from baseline to the end of the study period was evaluated. A decline of >= 5% from baseline was considered deterioration of adherence. Noninferiority of TM- and 3M-groups compared with the 1M-group according to the number of patients with deterioration of adherence was evaluated with the Farrington and Manning test (noninferiority margin 15%). Results: A total of 483 patients were analyzed (median duration of CPAP use, 29 [interquartile range, 12-71] mo), and deterioration of adherence was found in 41 of 161 (25.5%), 55 of 166 (33.1%), and 35 of 156 (22.4%) patients in the TM-, 3M-, and 1M-groups, respectively. The noninferiority of the TM-group compared with the 1M-group was verified (difference in percentage of patients with adherence deterioration, 3.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -4.8% to 10.9%; P < 0.01). Conversely, the 3M-group did not show noninferiority to the 1M-group (percentage difference, 10.7%; 95% CI, 2.6% to 18.8%; P = 0.19). In the stratified analysis, adherence in TM- and 1M-group patients with poor adherence at baseline improved (TM: 45.8% +/- 18.2% to 57.3% +/- 24.4%; P < 0.01; 1M: 43.1% +/- 18.5% to 53.6% 24.3%; P < 0.01), whereas that of the 3M-group did not (39.3% +/- 20.8% to 39.8% +/- 24.8%; P =0.84). Conclusions: Intensive telemedicine support could help to optimize CPAP adherence even after long-term CPAP use.