Browsing by Author "Nakano, Jenny"

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    Routine Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk in Hawaii’s Adults in the Primary Care Setting
    (2021-05-21) Nakano, Jenny; Ayers-Kawakami, Jeanette; Hensley, Patricia
    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent sleep disorder affecting millions of US adults, yet remains substantially underdiagnosed and undertreated. Untreated OSA can result in significant health consequences, compromises quality of life, and increases the overall burden upon public health. Early identification of undiagnosed OSA is essential, as those with OSA can be effectively screened and identified prior to the manifestation of adverse outcomes. However, there are often barriers to screening and early identification in primary care that contribute to the prevalence of undiagnosed OSA. Current evidence calls for more effective screening at the primary care level to identify patients at risk for OSA. This pilot project sought to increase identification of Hawaii adults at risk for OSA through the implementation of an evidence-based OSA screening tool as a routine screening measure in a primary care setting. One primary care provider piloted implementation of the STOP-Bang Questionnaire (SBQ) as the selected screening tool and screened adult patient participants for OSA risk during telehealth visits. The change in OSA screening rates and identification of patients at risk, as well as the provider’s perception of the project, was assessed following screening tool implementation. Data analysis indicated increases in OSA screening and identification of patients at risk by 651.9% and 533%, respectively, improving the quality of patient care and raising awareness of the prevalence of Hawaii’s adults at risk for OSA. Early identification of patients at risk through routine screening in the primary care setting can help to address the problem and extent of undiagnosed OSA cases, and has the potential to lead to referrals to sleep specialists for early diagnosis and treatment, thereby improving health outcomes and quality of life for those with OSA.