American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2018
Primary Care Physicians Can Comprehensively Manage Sleep Apnea Patients: A Non-inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.
Rationale: General practitioners play a passive role in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management. Simplification of the diagnosis and use of a semiautomatic algorithm for treatment can facilitate the integration of general practitioners, which has cost advantages. Objectives: To determine differences in effectiveness between primary health care area (PHA) and in-laboratory specialized management protocols during 6 months of follow-up. ⋯ Conclusions: PHA management may be an alternative to in-laboratory management for patients with an intermediate to high OSA probability. Given the clear economic advantage of outpatient management, this finding could change established clinical practice. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02141165).