Multidisciplinary Approach to Sleep Apnea Management

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the more common, yet least appreciated of the common chronic conditions in the United States. OSA is a syndrome with multifactorial pathophysiology, and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, with many patients living with OSA for years before diagnosis. Because of the efficacy of CPAP, it has been considered a first-line therapy and OSA care has been primarily organized around it. However, several factors are converging that provide a sound argument for a multidisciplinary approach to OSA management. Over 35 therapeutic options exist for OSA, but they tend to be underutilized especially for patients with mild-to-moderate OSA. Most OSA care is provided by pulmonary physicians, without reference to the inclusion of other disciplines in the evaluation and therapeutic process. Finally, with increased recognition of both OSA phenotypes and non-anatomical causes of OSA, the field has now commenced in increasing the understanding of subgroups of OSA patients, and the new era of personalized, tailored treatment approach has begun. OSA healthcare services will need to either organize multidisciplinary clinics physically, virtually, or via some combination to care for the large number of OSA patients in the United. States.