Page 8 - HME Business, April 2020

Study Reveals Low Sleep Satisfaction, Misconceptions About Sleep Apnea
Only 36 percent of sleep apnea patients reported using CPAP therapy at least once a week, demonstrating the gap between diagnosis and treatment.
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Anew report from Philips Respironics finds that misconceptions about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remain prevalent while sleep satisfaction around the world continues to be low.
The survey of 13,000 adults in 13 countries, titled “Wake Up Call: Global Sleep Satisfaction Trends,” discovered that only 49 percent of people reported being satisfied with their sleep. A third of those adults said worry/stress was the most limiting factor in getting a good night’s sleep. Researchers were also struck by the finding that fewer adults in 2020 reported taking action to improve their sleep in comparison to 2019.
“The decrease in people taking action to improve sleep is alarming, especially when it is clear people around the world deeply value sleep,” Dr. Mark Aloia, the Global Lead of Health Behavior Change at Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care, said. “Sleep deficit impacts people both mentally and physically, so we need to educate people on avail- able sleep resources and empower them with the confidence that their efforts will pay off.”
Perhaps most concerning to healthcare and HME providers is the study’s findings about sleep apnea. Thirty percent of people with sleep apnea said they believe it is not necessary to treat OSA, and only
36 percent of sleep apnea patients reported using CPAP therapy at least once a week.
Despite affecting approximately 1 billion people worldwide, sleep apnea is not well understood by
the general population, according to the survey’s findings. Survey participants reflected widespread misconceptions about sleep apnea: Only 47 percent recognized being overweight/obese as a risk factor for OSA, and only 25 percent believe that anyone can get OSA.
“This year’s survey showed both the promising and somewhat concerning sides of the OSA coin,” David White, the chief scientific officer at Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care, wrote in the report.
White highlighted one recent report finding that approximately two-thirds of OSA patients recognize they have the condition. But a high number believe their OSA does not need treatment, and nearly 50 percent say they’ve never been prescribed CPAP, he wrote.
“This is obviously concerning,” White wrote. “Most patients adjust to CPAP relatively easily, and for those opposed or not tolerant to it in the past, there are other effective treatments such as devices that help patients avoid sleeping on their back. In order to improve quality of life, OSA patients need to recog- nize that acceptable, effective therapies are available.”
Of the survey participants who have been diag- nosed with sleep apnea and use CPAP therapy, 75 percent said they would recommend it to others and 71 percent said the benefits outweigh the inconve- nience. More data on barriers to sleep and sleep satisfaction can be found in the full Global Sleep Survey at bit.ly/SleepSatisfactionTrends.
Medtrade Spring Gets New Name, Location for 2021 Edition
Responding to an attendee and exhibitor survey and the expense of Las Vegas, Medtrade Spring will now be known as Medtrade West and is heading to Phoenix, Ariz. In 2021.
Bidding a farewell to Las Vegas, Medtrade Spring gets a new name and new location for 2021. Redubbed Medtrade West, the annual event will be held April 12-14, 2021 at Phoenix Convention Center.
The move was chalked up to a few factors uncov- ered by a survey conducted by an outside survey firm, with one of the primary considerations being “Vegas fatigue.”
“Las Vegas has continued to be expensive for
us as a show producer, as well as for attendees and exhibitors,” said Mark Lind, show director. “Phoenix showed up as one of the cities of interest in our survey, and it’s a great city to host a tradeshow.”
The data also showed that eliminating the spring show wasn’t a viable option given that providers in western states and on the west coast preferred the show over its Atlanta counterpart in fall.
“Folks from the west don’t want to travel to Atlanta, and vice versa,” Lind said. “If we only went to one show, we would be neglecting the west
8 HMEBusiness | April 2020 | hme-business.com
coast. ... We still have to support the east coast and west coast — not just one.”
To that point, historically, there has been only a 10 percent overlap between the two events because most attendees prefer to attend the closest show.
Hence the name change to Medtrade West, which is intended to strengthen the geographic affiliation. Similarly, the fall show will change its name to Medtrade East in 2021.
“The difference between the two shows
is geography, and we’re hoping that exhibi-
tors and attendees understand that these shows are attended by different people—and the two different groups of people \\\\\\\[from the east and west\\\\\\\] want two different shows,” said Sarah Varner, senior director of marketing for the show
The 2021 Medtrade West will feature more dedi- cated hours for educational sessions and the expo.
“The schedule we’re looking at would have 75 percent of the expo time with no overlap with the conference,” Varner noted.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (continued)
healing. Typically used to treat post-surgery or chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers, NPWT has become more popular with providers.
“There has been growing interest in using portable and disposable NPWT devices on closed incisions after a surgical procedure in order to inhibit potential surgical site infections (SSIs) and other wound compli- cations in high-risk patients,” the report reads.
During the forecast period, from 2019-2029, hospitals and home care settings are expected to dominate the market, the researchers wrote. And, while a majority of NPWT devices are in the U.S. and Europe, the demand is expected to grow in eastern Europe and Latin America.
Meanwhile, companies are focusing on collabo- rating with research centers to develop products in tandem with regulations to properly treat chronic disorders. More details at bit.ly/NPWTmarket.
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