Provider Types and Outcomes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Case Finding and Treatment
Authors: Sairam Parthasarathy, Daniel Combs, Sarah N. Patel, Chitra Poongkunran, Stuart F. Quan
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Letters7 August 2018Provider Types and Outcomes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Case Finding and TreatmentSairam Parthasarathy, MD, Daniel Combs, MD, Sarah N. Patel, MD, Chitra Poongkunran, MD, and Stuart F. Quan, MD, ABSairam Parthasarathy, MDUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (S.P., D.C., S.N.P., C.P.), Daniel Combs, MDUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (S.P., D.C., S.N.P., C.P.), Sarah N. Patel, MDUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (S.P., D.C., S.N.P., C.P.), Chitra Poongkunran, MDUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (S.P., D.C., S.N.P., C.P.), and Stuart F. Quan, MD, ABHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (S.F.Q.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L18-0164 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We are concerned that various aspects of Kunisaki and colleagues' systematic review (1) severely limit their conclusions. The authors concluded that health care delivery to patients with obstructive sleep apnea by sleep specialist physicians (SSPs) was the same as that by non–sleep specialists (NSSs). Pooled analysis was not provided for adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy, 1 of the most important outcomes that influence the downstream health benefits of treating obstructive sleep apnea. Performing a meta-analysis of the same studies included by the authors revealed a mean difference of 29 minutes (95% CI, −5 to 63 ...References1. Kunisaki KM, Greer N, Khalil W, Koffel E, Koeller E, MacDonald R, et al. Provider types and outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea case finding and treatment: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168:195-202. [PMID: 29379962]. doi:10.7326/M17-2511 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Parthasarathy S, Subramanian S, Quan SF. A multicenter prospective comparative effectiveness study of the effect of physician certification and center accreditation on patient-centered outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2014;10:243-9. [PMID: 24634620] doi:10.5664/jcsm.3518 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Parthasarathy S, Haynes PL, Budhiraja R, Habib MP, Quan SF. A national survey of the effect of sleep medicine specialists and American Academy of Sleep Medicine accreditation on management of obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2006;2:133-42. [PMID: 17557485] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Higgins JPT, Green S. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 5.1.0. The Cochrane Collaboration. 2011. Accessed at http://handbook.cochrane.org/front_page.htm on 18 June 2018. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (S.P., D.C., S.N.P., C.P.)Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (S.F.Q.)Note: Drs. Parthasarathy, Combs, Patel, and Quan are board-certified in sleep medicine.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L18-0164. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoProvider Types and Outcomes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Case Finding and Treatment Ken M. Kunisaki , Nancy Greer , Wajahat Khalil , Erin Koffel , Eva Koeller , Roderick MacDonald , and Timothy J. Wilt Provider Types and Outcomes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Case Finding and Treatment Timothy J. Wilt , Nancy Greer , and Ken M. Kunisaki Metrics Cited byWhich older adults receive sleep medicine specialty care? Predictors of being seen by a board-certified sleep medicine providerPractice patterns of board-certified sleep medicine providers: a national analysis among older adult Medicare beneficiaries 7 August 2018Volume 169, Issue 3Page: 201-202KeywordsContinuous positive airway pressureDisclosureExerciseHealth carePatientsProspective studiesSleepSleep apneaSystematic reviews ePublished: 7 August 2018 Issue Published: 7 August 2018 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2018 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...