From the two studies I've seen, compliance rates are surprisingly low. As many as half of patients discontinue CPAP use within the first week and up to 25% of the remaining patients may be expected to have discontinued therapy within three years. Engleman, H.M., Wild, M.R. (2003); Improving CPAP Use by Patients with Sleep Apnoea/Hypopnea Syndrome; Sleep Medicine Reviews, 7, 81-99.NightHawkeye wrote:Rooster, if you don't mind me asking, what is the source of the 13% compliance statistic you cite?rooster wrote:What percent of cpap patients are compliant and getting a good therapy? It is certainly less than 50% and one sleep lab's survey showed only 13% of their patients were compliant. I am all for products that will increase the compliance rate.
Regards,
Bill
In another study, only 46% of patients used their CPAP for at least four hours a night for five nights a week. Kribbs, NB, Pack, AI, Kline, LR, et al. (1993); Objective Measurement of Patterns of Nasal CPAP Use by Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 1993; 147, 887-895.
Defining compliance as only 4 hours a night, 5 days a week seems rather misleading to me.
Perhaps if compliance were defined as 6 hours a night seven days a week the percentage would be as low as 13%--but the study didn't reach that point.