Annals
Established in 1927 by the American College of Physicians
:
Advanced search
box Article
 arrow  Table of Contents                
space
 arrow  Full Text of this article
space
 arrow  PDF of this article
(PDFs free after 6 months)
space
 arrow  Figures/Tables List
space
 arrow  Related articles in Annals
space
box Services
 arrow  Send comment/rapid response letter
space
 arrow  Notify a friend about this article
space
 arrow  Alert me when this article is cited
space
 arrow  Add to Personal Archive
space
 arrow  Download to Citation Manager
space
 arrow  ACP Search                        
space
 arrow  Get Permissions
space
box Google Scholar
 arrow  Search for Related Content
space
box PubMed
Articles in PubMed by Author:
  arrow  Chervin, R. D.
space
  arrow  Totten, V.
space
 arrow  Related Articles in PubMed
space
 arrow  PubMed Citation
space
 arrow  PubMed
space

ARTICLE

Cost-Utility of Three Approaches to the Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea: Polysomnography, Home Testing, and Empirical Therapy

right arrow Ronald D. Chervin, MD, MS; Daniel L. Murman, MD, MS; Beth A. Malow, MD, MS; and Vicken Totten, MD, MS

16 March 1999 | Volume 130 Issue 6 | Pages 496-505

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is usually diagnosed with overnight polysomnography in a sleep laboratory. Home sleep studies can be performed at lower cost, but results are somewhat less reliable. Bedside diagnosis of OSAS without any testing has also been discussed.

Objective: To model the costs and utility of laboratory polysomnography, home study, and no testing during the 5 years after initial evaluation for OSAS.

Design: Cost-utility analysis.

Data Sources: Published data.

Target Population: Hypothetical cohort of persons suspected of having OSAS.

Time Horizon: The 5 years after initial evaluation for OSAS.

Perspective: Societal.

Intervention: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure when OSAS was diagnosed.

Measurements: Quality of life, survival and charges (as proxies for costs) for each diagnostic method.

Results of Base-Case Analysis: Under almost all modeled conditions, polysomnography provided maximal quality-adjusted life-years in the 5 years after the initial diagnostic evaluation. The incremental charges for polysomnography over home study or no testing were about $13 400 and $9200, respectively, per quality-adjusted life-year gained during this period.

Results of Sensitivity Analysis: Results were sensitive to the utility of treatment in the absence of OSAS.

Conclusions: The cost–utility of polysomnography instead of home study or no testing in the diagnosis of OSAS compares favorably with that of other procedures for which society judges the added utility per dollar spent to be worthwhile. More precise determination of certain key variables in this model should be a goal of future research.

Author and Article Information
space

From the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; and Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens, Brooklyn, New York.

Acknowledgments: This manuscript was developed, in part, during graduate work done by the authors at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The authors thank Dr. Richard Cornell and Dr. Michael Chernew, who provided excellent introductions to decision analysis and cost–utility analysis, respectively, and Dr. Rajesh R. Bandekar of the Consortium for Health Outcomes, Innovation, and Cost-Effectiveness Studies (CHOICES) for assistance with Monte Carlo simulation.

Requests for Reprints: Ronald D. Chervin, MD, MS, Sleep Disorders Center, University Hospital 8D8702, Box 0117, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0117.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Chervin and Malow: Sleep Disorders Center, University Hospital 8D8702, Box 0117, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0117.

Dr. Murman: Clinical Neuroscience, A-217 Clinical Center, 138 Service Road, East Lansing, MI 48824.

Dr. Totten: Department of Emergency Medicine, Catholic Medical Center, 58-25 153rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11432.


Related articles in Annals:

Editorials
Economic Implications of the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Allan I. Pack AND Indira Gurubhagavatula
Annals 1999 130: 533-534. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
ChestHome page
N. P. Patel, M. Ahmed, and I. Rosen
Split-Night Polysomnography
Chest, November 1, 2007; 132(5): 1664 - 1671.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
M. Ahmed, N. P. Patel, and I. Rosen
Portable Monitors in the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Chest, November 1, 2007; 132(5): 1672 - 1677.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
A. T. Mulgrew, N. Fox, N. T. Ayas, and C. F. Ryan
Diagnosis and Initial Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea without Polysomnography: A Randomized Validation Study
Ann Intern Med, February 6, 2007; 146(3): 157 - 166.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
E. Quintana-Gallego, M. Villa-Gil, C. Carmona-Bernal, G. Botebol-Benhamou, A. Martinez-Martinez, A. Sanchez-Armengol, J. Polo-Padillo, and F. Capote
Home respiratory polygraphy for diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing in heart failure
Eur. Respir. J., September 1, 2004; 24(3): 443 - 448.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Chronic Respiratory DiseaseHome page
C. D'Ambrosio and N. S Hill
A low-cost way to manage obstructive sleep apnea: does it pay?
Chronic Respiratory Disease, April 1, 2004; 1(2): 89 - 91.
[PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
A. Tarasiuk, T. Simon, A. Tal, and H. Reuveni
Adenotonsillectomy in Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Reduces Health Care Utilization
Pediatrics, February 1, 2004; 113(2): 351 - 356.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
N. Pelletier-Fleury, N. Meslier, F. Gagnadoux, C. Person, D. Rakotonanahary, H. Ouksel, B. Fleury, and J-L. Racineux
Economic arguments for the immediate management of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
Eur. Respir. J., January 1, 2004; 23(1): 53 - 60.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
J. Mar, J.R. Rueda, J. Duran-Cantolla, C. Schechter, and J. Chilcott
The cost-effectiveness of nCPAP treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea
Eur. Respir. J., March 1, 2003; 21(3): 515 - 522.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
H. Reuveni, T. Simon, A. Tal, A. Elhayany, and A. Tarasiuk
Health Care Services Utilization in Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Pediatrics, July 1, 2002; 110(1): 68 - 72.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
M. M. Saeed, T. G. Keens, M. W. Stabile, J. Bolokowicz, and S. L. Davidson Ward
Should Children With Suspected Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome And Normal Nap Sleep Studies Have Overnight Sleep Studies?
Chest, August 1, 2000; 118(2): 360 - 365.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JWatch NeurologyHome page
Polysomnography Is Cost Effective for Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea
Journal Watch Neurology, May 1, 1999; 1999(501): 13 - 13.
[Full Text]


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
A. I. Pack and I. Gurubhagavatula
Economic Implications of the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Ann Intern Med, March 16, 1999; 130(6): 533 - 534.
[Full Text] [PDF]




 Home | Current Issue | Past Issues | In the Clinic | ACP Journal Club | CME | Collections | Audio/Video | Mobile | Subscribe | Tools | Help | ACP Online 

Copyright © 1999 by the American College of Physicians.