Long-Term Telemonitoring in Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

Abstract

Patients with sleep-related respiratory disorders requiring positive airway pressure (PAP) devices may benefit from telemonitoring to start up non-invasive ventilation (NIV) support, airway pressure titration, increase PAP use adherence, and follow-up to treat their pathology, thus reducing waiting times at person-to-person appointments, the costs caused by loss of earnings, the travel and accommodation expenses incurred at person-to-person appointments, and providing patients who live a long distance from specialized professionals with the possibility of having appointments with specialists. Patients using NIV, such as patients with congenital central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome and other pathologies, require the follow-up of a sleep physiotherapist, specialized professionals, and physicians. Telemonitoring has been an essential tool to provide patients with a proper treatment considering that it was very difficult to adapt patients to NIV—with the necessary subsequent follow-up—because they live a long distance from the diagnostic center and there are no specialized professionals near their home.