Determinants of adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy in adults with obstructive sleep apnea

Objectives Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) determines the effectiveness of the treat- ment. Likewise, the assessment of the control of the disease must consider the infor- mation referred by the patient, among other value-based health measures related to the satisfaction of the intervention. The objectives of this study were a) Determine the factors related to adherence to CPAP devices in subjects with OSA affiliated to an insurance company of the healthcare system in Colombia. b) Assess symptom control associated to the disease from the individual ́s perspective and his/her satisfaction with the treatment received. Materials and Methods 1,501 subjects with OSA were surveyed by telephone to explore: sociodemographic factors, habits and lifestyles, use of CPAP and its adverse events, control of the disease, comorbidities, access to care and therapy satisfaction. Using multilevel logistic regression techniques, the influence of the various factors on adherence to CPAP was analyzed, using Stata 13 software. Results Adherence to CPAP therapy was of 58% and the control of symptoms was of 41.7%. The factors that determined the use of CPAP were knowledge on how the device operates, and the disturbances during sleep due to the mask or nasal pad. The- rapy satisfaction was predominantly very good or good. Conclusion Even with moderate adherence values and a good experience with CPAP therapy, symptomatic control of the disease is poor. Many of the factors that affect the use of CPAP are modifiable with a proper approach by the devices ́ service provider.