Summary: A case study conducted by Wesper, a home-based sleep diagnostics provider, has demonstrated that its cloud-based platform can reduce the titration time for hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients by up to 45%. Typically, HGNS titration is a lengthy process involving the gradual adjustment of stimulation levels, which can take three to six months. By using Wesper’s sleep-tracking capabilities, clinicians were able to assess patient responses more rapidly, cutting the titration period from 100 days to 55 days on average. The study also showed improvements in patients’ apnea-hypopnea index.
Key Takeaways:
- Reduction in Titration Time: The titration protocol reduced the average titration time for hypoglossal nerve stimulation in OSA patients by 45%, from over 100 days to 55 days, streamlining the process.
- Improved Patient Outcomes: The platform also resulted in a more than 10% improvement in apnea-hypopnea index scores.
- Enhanced Monitoring and Decision-Making: Wesper’s platform enabled real-time monitoring and rapid feedback, allowing healthcare providers to make early interventions and more informed decisions during the HGNS titration process, according to the company.
Wesper, a home-based sleep diagnostics provider, has announced findings from a case study showing that its sleep diagnostics platform could help reduce hypoglossal nerve stimulation titration time for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by up to 45% and deliver more effective care.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation is a treatment for OSA patients who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy. However, traditional titration—adjusting stimulation levels for optimal outcomes—can be lengthy, costly, and prone to errors, which may affect patient health outcomes.
Ruchir P. Patel, MD, FACP of The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona in Scottsdale, Ariz, has been developing a titration protocol that utilizes Wesper’s cloud-based sleep-tracking capabilities. Typically, the post-activation care pathway involves gradual titration of the hypoglossal nerve stimulation amplitude to achieve subjective and objective improvements, which can be lengthy, ranging from three to six months post-activation.
Wesper Enables Faster Treatment Adjustments
The Wesper home sleep test was implemented to test the patients’ OSA status after each amplitude adjustment of the hypoglossal nerve stimulation device, allowing the care provider to quickly assess objective response of the amplitude adjustments and track objective improvement. “This rapid and reliable feedback allows for an early intervention approach with critical advanced programming decisions when noting lack of an expected response,” reads a release from Wesper.
The utilization of the “data-rich” Wesper platform enabled early identification of treatment-emergent central sleep apnea and improved efficacy and long-term treatment outcomes, according to a release from Wesper.
“Wesper allows you to leverage this system for remote monitoring of objective treatment response with the more advanced neuromodulation treatments for sleep apnea. We can finally make informative decisions to guide outcomes because of Wesper’s device while the patient uses it at home,” says Patel in a release.
Key results from the study showed a 45% reduction in titration time, with the period dropping from over 100 days to 55 days on average. The platform also led to a more than 10% improvement in apnea-hypopnea index scores compared to the standard method.
Photo caption: The Wesper home sleep apnea test being paired with a phone
Photo credit: Wesper
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