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At the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, we are currently undertaking a research study into the diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) within the primary care setting. This multi-site study, entitled ‘The diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in primary care’, is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
We hope to involve several general practices within the greater Sydney area, and some GPs in the Dubbo area and surrounds. All patients aged 18-75 who present with suspected or possible OSA are eligible to participate, and GPs will be reimbursed for each patient participant, to cover the small amount of additional work required.
We aim to develop and validate a diagnostic algorithm in the primary care setting (combining information from questionnaire data, anthropometric clinical data, craniofacial photography and a portable diagnostic device) that can be used to define individuals in whom OSA can be confidently diagnosed or confidently excluded and to identify those who require further investigation. The standard in-laboratory polysomnogram will be used as the reference standard for the diagnosis of OSA.
What would this study involve?
If you agreed to be involved in the study, you would be asked to invite patients who present with suspected or possible OSA to participate, and to undergo the following steps:
- Record measurements such as weight and height
- Complete questionnaires regarding symptoms of OSA
In addition, your patients will:
- Use a portable diagnostic device within the home; and
- Have an in-hospital polysomnogram/sleep study.
We are also offering RACGP-accredited training in the recognition of sleep disorders, to be undertaken as an Active Learning Module (40 Category 1 QA&CPD points.) The main training sessions will be held at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Glebe, Sydney, on the evenings of Wednesday 27th August and Wednesday 3rd September. The accredited training is offered free to GPs, as part of being involved in the research, but enrolment in the Active Learning Module is not compulsory to be involved in the study.
We hope that this project will have a major impact on clinical practice in the diagnosis of OSA. It has the potential of addressing the current problem of long delays to obtaining a diagnosis, in those at risk of complications for this common condition. |
