In this national study of older adult Medicare beneficiaries with co-morbid OSA and CVD, high adherence to CPAP was associated with significantly reduced risk of 30-day re-admission. These findings support work from prior, smaller studies by using a large, nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. These results are particularly important, because older adults with co-morbid OSA and CVD consume a great deal of health care resources. Thus, considering Medicare’s initiatives to reduce avoidable hospital re-admissions, screening for and appropriately treating OSA might represent one very feasible approach to improve health outcomes while reducing costs. Importantly, prior studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, as screening for OSA among hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure or obesity leads to successful diagnosis and treatment both in-hospital and post-discharge.
Commenti