Introduction to Obstructive Sleep Apnea for the Internist
Rosemary Adamson,
Brian Palen,
Ken He,
Joanna Wrede,
Daniel O'Hearn,
Elizabeth Parsons
Affiliations
Rosemary Adamson
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Staff Physician, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System
Brian Palen
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Staff Physician, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System
Ken He
Clinical Instructor, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Staff Physician, Hospital Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System
Joanna Wrede
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine
Daniel O'Hearn
Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Staff Physician, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System
Elizabeth Parsons
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Staff Physician, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System
Introduction The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing is increasing, and there are insufficient sleep medicine specialists to meet the clinical demand of caring for these patients. One way to meet this clinical need is to train primary care and internal medicine physicians to provide some of the care. However, trainees in these specialties often receive very little training on practical aspects of the management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We developed an experiential workshop to address this need at our institution. Methods For approximately 60 internal medicine residents, we ran a 2.5-hour workshop consisting of two 20-minute didactic presentations to the whole audience and two 40-minute breakout sessions, led by eight facilitators. During the breakout sessions, the residents interacted with equipment such as positive airway pressure (PAP) devices and interfaces, reviewed sleep testing and PAP download reports, and participated in guided small-group discussions. Results We received 40 evaluation surveys with at least partial responses. Only 50% of respondents had received prior formal instruction on PAP devices. Both subjective and objective knowledge scores improved on the postworkshop questions compared to the preworkshop questions. Trainee comments were extremely positive, indicating that they enjoyed the format of the session. Discussion This curriculum provides an interactive educational session focused on practical aspects of OSA management relevant to primary care physicians and internists. It was well received and could be adapted to suit other time frames and other groups of learners.
