Study Objective: Telemedicine (TM) for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treated patients may save health-care resources without compromising treatment effectiveness. We assessed the effect of TM (AirView Online System, ResMed) during the CPAP habituation phase on 3-month and 1-year treatment adherence and efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Methods: At CPAP initiation, 120 patients diagnosed with OSA were randomized to either usual care (UC) or TM during the habituation phase (clinical registration: ISRCTN12865936). Both groups received a first face-to-face appointment with a sleep care giver at CPAP initiation. Within the following month, 2 other physical visits were scheduled in the UC group whereas two phone consultations were planned in the TM group, in which CPAP parameters were remotely adapted. Additional physical visits were programmed at the patient's request. Face-to-face consultations were scheduled at 3 and 12 months after CPAP initiation. The primary outcome was the mean CPAP daily use over the course of 12 months.Results: Twenty of 60 patients stopped CPAP therapy in the UC group vs. 14 of 60 in the TM group (p = 0.24). In per protocol analysis, mean [95% CI] daily CPAP use among 86 patients still using CPAP at 12 months was 279 [237; 321] min in the 38 patients on UC and 279 [247; 311] min in the 43 patients on TM, mean difference [95% CI]: 0 [−52; 52] min, P = 0.99. Total consultation time per patient was not different between groups, TM: 163 [147; 178] min, UC: 178 [159; 197] min, difference: −15 [−39; 9] min, p = 0.22.Conclusions: Telemedicine during the CPAP habituation phase did not alter daily CPAP use or treatment adherence and did not require more healthcare time. Telemedicine may support clinic attendance for CPAP titration.Clinical Trial Registration: [ISRCTN], identifier [ISRCTN12865936].

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on health-care services forcing the reorganisation of traditional care pathways. We investigated how physicians taking care of severe asthma patients in Europe reorganised care, and how these changes affected patient satisfaction, asthma control and future care.MethodsIn this European-wide cross-sectional study, patient surveys were sent to patients with a physician-diagnosis of severe asthma, and physician surveys to severe asthma specialists between November 2020 and May 2021.Results1101 patients and 268 physicians from 16 European countries contributed to the study. Common physician-reported changes in severe asthma care included use of video/phone consultations (46%), reduced availability of physicians (43%) and change to home-administered biologics (38%). Change to phone/video consultations was reported in 45% of patients, of whom 79% were satisfied or very satisfied with this change. Of 709 patients on biologics, 24% experienced changes in biologic care, of whom 92% were changed to home-administered biologics and of these 62% were satisfied or very satisfied with this change. Only 2% reported worsening asthma symptoms associated with changes in biologic care. Many physicians expect continued implementation of video/phone consultations (41%) and home administration of biologics (52%).ConclusionsChange to video/phone consultations and home administration of biologics was common in severe asthma care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was associated with high satisfaction levels in most but not all cases. Many physicians expect these changes to continue in future severe asthma care, though satisfaction levels may change after the pandemic.

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Zusammenfassung. Für die Allgemeinpraktikerin und den Allgemeinpraktiker gibt es wichtige Neuerungen in der Asthmabehandlung, da sich die internationalen Empfehlungen auf Basis der Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) geändert haben. Für die Stufe 1 wird der alleinige Einsatz kurzwirksamer β2-Agonisten (SABA) ohne inhalatives Kortikosteroid (ICS) aufgrund der mangelnden Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit nicht mehr empfohlen, sondern stattdessen niedrig dosiertes ICS-Formoterol bei Bedarf. Bei schwerem, unkontrolliertem Asthma der Stufe 5 wird der Einsatz von biologischen Therapien, wie z.B. Interleukin-Antikörpern, empfohlen. Weisen Asthma-Kranke gleichzeitig auch Symptome einer chronisch-obstruktiven Lungenkrankheit (COPD) auf, sollten sie mit einer ICS-enthaltenden Therapie behandelt werden. Die Empfehlungen der GINA bleiben auch während der Corona-Pandemie unverändert gültig. Aktuelle Verschreibungsdaten der Schweiz belegen, dass sowohl SABA als auch orale Kortikosteroide (OCS) noch eine grosse Rolle in der Asthmabehandlung spielen und die GINA-Empfehlungen noch nicht ausreichend umgesetzt wurden.

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