Educational video to improve CPAP use in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea at risk for poor adherence: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal adherence to CPAP limits its clinical effectiveness in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Although rigorous behavioural interventions improve CPAP adherence, their labour-intensive nature has limited widespread implementation. Moreover, these interventions have not been tested in patients at risk of poor CPAP adherence. Our objective was to determine whether an educational video will improve CPAP adherence in patients at risk of poor CPAP adherence.

METHODS: Patients referred by clinicians without sleep medicine expertise to an urban sleep laboratory that serves predominantly minority population were randomised to view an educational video about OSA and CPAP therapy before the polysomnogram, or to usual care. The primary outcome was CPAP adherence during the first 30 days of therapy. Secondary outcomes were show rates to sleep clinic (attended appointment) and 30-day CPAP adherence after the sleep clinic visit date.

RESULTS: A total of 212 patients met the eligibility criteria and were randomised to video education (n=99) or to usual care (n=113). There were no differences in CPAP adherence at 30 days (3.3, 95% CI 2.8 to 3.8 hours/day video education; vs 3.5, 95% CI 3.1 to 4.0 hours/day usual care; p=0.44) or during the 30 days after sleep clinic visit. Sleep clinic show rate was 54% in the video education group and 59% in the usual care group (p=0.41). CPAP adherence, however, significantly worsened in patients who did not show up to the sleep clinic.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients at risk for poor CPAP adherence, an educational video did not improve CPAP adherence or show rates to sleep clinic compared with usual care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02553694.