Umbian Inc., a ResMed (NYSE: RMD) company, and leading provider of cloud-based healthcare compliance solutions, today announced the outcome of a new study that shows significant, measurable efficiency gains when using the automated messaging capabilities of its U-Sleep compliance management solution.
The study reveals a 59 percent reduction in labor associated with intervening with and coaching patients on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy when using U-Sleep. The study was presented today at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2014 International Conference in San Diego by lead investigator Dominic Munafo, M.D., DABSM, Medical Director, Sleep Data, Inc., and was supported by Umbian and ResMed.
“This is an opportunity for home medical equipment (HME) providers to redesign the way they interact with patients to improve efficiency, and therefore their bottom line,†said Raj Sodhi, president of Umbian. “Every HME is under pressure to minimize the costs associated with gaining compliance, and these findings show that U-Sleep’s automated messaging can help significantly.â€
The goal of the study was to compare the effectiveness and coaching labor requirements of a web-based, automated messaging (via U-Sleep) with standard-of-care CPAP adherence coaching, and measure the coaching labor necessary to achieve Medicare-defined adherence. A secure and flexible compliance solution, U-Sleep monitors CPAP device usage and helps HMEs coach and manage their patients during therapy.
In order to evaluate the effect of automated messaging on coaching labor and patient adherence, researchers conducted a multi-center, prospective trial of patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. A total of 122 patients completed the three-month study follow-up, with 58 in the U-Sleep arm and 64 in the standard-of-care arm. All patients were set up on a CPAP device with heated humidification and a ResMed wireless modem, and both groups received identical CPAP education and orientation.