Improving adherence to PAP therapy: A brief PAP coaching intervention for health care providers

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a training program for non-specialist health care providers in a brief coaching intervention to improve positive airway pressure (PAP) usage in Veterans with sleep apnea. METHODS: We conducted a national webinar training designed for non-specialist providers to implement a brief telephone coaching intervention to improve PAP adherence. The curriculum was crafted by experts in sleep medicine and behavioral sleep medicine based on principles of PAP desensitization. Providers who participated in this training were asked to complete evaluations at 30 days and 1 year. RESULTS: Provider surveys indicated that most respondents had incorporated the intervention into their clinical practice and felt comfortable counseling patients about sleep apnea and adherence to PAP. Provider feedback suggested that future training programs should include refresher trainings, more training on PAP equipment specifics, and facilitated collaboration with local sleep medicine staff. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot training program demonstrated that a webinar format was a feasible method to increase training in PAP adherence among non-specialist health care providers. INNOVATION: Non-specialists can be trained as PAP coaches in webinar format, improving patients' access to effective strategies and support to be successful with PAP therapy.