P061 CPAP Investigation Results: Physician vs Scientist delivered. Is there a difference in CPAP compliance and uptake?

INTRODUCTION: As standard practice in a tertiary public hospital, CPAP titration outcomes and recommendations are provided to patients by Sleep Physicians in a follow up consultation. To free up physician time, a new model of care was introduced where senior scientific staff would provide the results and recommendations after Sleep Physician reporting. The aim of this retrospective review was to determine if there were any differences in CPAP uptake and compliance between results and recommendations provided by Scientists, or Sleep Physicians. METHOD: Retrospective review of uncomplicated CPAP naïve patients attending CPAP titration between 1/07/20 to 30/06/21. CPAP uptake, compliance, and Epworth at 2 and 12 months were compared between the groups receiving physician or scientist recommendations, using Student’s T-Tests for continuous or Chi-Square tests for categorical variables. RESULTS: 446 patients (55% Male) received titration outcomes and recommendations, 57% from Scientists and 43% from Physicians. Mean age was 57.6+/-14.5 years, BMI=37.6+/-8.8 kg/m2, Baseline Epworth=10.5+/-5.9 and AHI=37.6+/-26.8 events/hr with no significant differences between groups. CPAP uptake for Scientists=72% and Physician=68% (p=0.403). There was also no difference in either compliance or ESS at 2 month and 12 month follow up. DISCUSSION: In this retrospective audit, no differences in CPAP uptake, compliance or ESS were observed between CPAP titration results and recommendations provided by Scientist compared to Sleep Physicians. However patient selection was not randomised and may have influenced results. More robust evidence requires a randomised controlled trial design to confirm findings.