Verily launches study to evaluate an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management platform
Verily launches study to evaluate an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management platform
Poor sleep is directly correlated to an increased risk of a number of health conditions, from memory problems to chronic diseases. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep breathing disorder that affects an estimated 54 million Americans* and is linked with cardiovascular disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, accidents, and reduced quality of life.
Despite the condition’s high prevalence and increasing public awareness, past research has shown that approximately 80% of individuals with OSA are undiagnosed** and that the current care options are often inconvenient and expensive.
Participants will be able to use the Verily Sleep Apnea app to manage their study activities, including setting up their positive airway pressure (PAP) machine and getting support from a Verily Health Coach to help optimize their PAP machine use and health outcomes.
In an effort to explore improving current approaches to sleep apnea management, Verily’s Sleep Apnea Study 2 is evaluating a new approach to sleep apnea management which is intended to provide patients with a more seamless experience from initial diagnosis to therapy enrollment, with the goal of improving the quality of their sleep. As a digital, fully at-home study, the Sleep Apnea Study 2 allows participants to join research in a way that blends sleep therapy into their daily life.
This study is part of Verily’s joint venture with global digital health and sleep apnea leader ResMed, announced in July, 2018, “to more efficiently identify, diagnose, treat, and manage individuals with sleep apnea and other breathing-related sleep disorders.”
Participants will sign up through Verily’s clinical research initiative and technology platform Project Baseline. Project Baseline enables participants to volunteer for research opportunities that fit their profile, interests, and lifestyle.
If eligible, participants will begin the study with a virtual physician appointment to assess symptoms and evaluate if a home sleep test is right for them. Participants who are diagnosed with sleep apnea and elect to start PAP therapy will use the Verily Sleep Apnea smartphone app. The Verily Sleep Apnea app is designed to help people adjust to PAP therapy, and to build and maintain healthy sleep behaviors and routines, thereby supporting not only the patients but their doctors and home medical equipment providers who have increasingly embraced digital health solutions as means to increase patient adherence and business efficiency.
The Sleep Apnea Study 2 has the potential to provide meaningful insights into how we approach obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and care. The platform pairs a supportive, holistic approach with a streamlined care pathway leveraging Verily’s unique expertise, to improve sleep health and lives in ways that matter deeply.”