New Rules or No Rules, Commercial Drivers Are Making the Most of Their Sleep Apnea Treatment Compliance

By Admin

Sleep Apnea Compliance

While the issue of Sleep Apnea screenings has been highly controversial among commercial drivers, a diagnosis from a medical examiner does not mean that you will lose your livelihood. In fact, proper diagnosis of a sleep apnea syndrome can lead to a much healthier and more productive lifestyle. And positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) remains the most effective and adaptive treatment option available, even offering free compliance softwareas an accessory.

So What About the New Rules?

Despite the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) recent withdrawal of a rulemaking process for standardized sleep apnea screenings across the board, other activities at both the state and federal level show a trend in sleep apnea awareness and treatment requirements. There may not be a set policy in place that defines a screening protocol in the U.S., but carrier companies are free to create their own guidelines, many of them following the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which calls for tests on drivers with a BMI over 40 or a neck circumference over 17 inches (16 for women). The Supreme Court upheld the rights of companies to enforce these requirements in 2016, denying an appeal from a driver seeking an American Disabilities Act defense against the mandatory treatment of OSA. Thus, the consensus among those in the industry is that sleep apnea treatment is not only an occupational safety issue but is becoming a part of everyday life for a growing sector of the population. With driver fatigue contributing an estimated 100,000 motor vehicle accidentseach year, the issue is not likely to go away with the abandonment of a single rule.

Giving CPAP a Chance

As many already know, the benefits of CPAP therapy extend well beyond job security and can potentially save the lives of those receiving treatment, as well as the lives of all those who share the road with them every day. But the biggest problem with treatment is that new patients often quit the therapy before recognizing the benefits. Among medical professionals who monitor CPAP therapy, the most common complaint is that patients stop the treatment for issues such as mask fitting difficulties, leakage, or excess airflow, all of which can be easily remedied with simple adjustments. New patients often don’t understand how many choices there are in regard to therapy options. Making these corrections early can alleviate a lot of concerns for new patients and greatly increase the probability of prolonged, positive experience with CPAP therapy. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) estimates that nearly 30% of commercial drivers in the U.S. are living with sleep apnea, and when left untreated the condition can lead to more serious medical issues including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and most frequently, daytime fatigue and drowsiness due to chronic sleep debt. The good news is that treatment with a CPAP machine and a few basic lifestyle changes can help you to get restful sleep and maintain your commercial driver’s license. Many drivers who suffered from untreated sleep apnea for long periods report drastic changes after beginning treatment, even going so far as to say that they felt like an entirely new person since beginning CPAP therapy.

Free and Easy Compliance

New developments in CPAP therapy compliance software are providing increasingly more easy and efficient means of securing and transmitting treatment data for use by physicians, employers, or personal tracking systems. Therapy compliance is often defined as logging a minimum or average number of therapy hours per night in a given period, typically 4 or more for at least 70% of the evenings recorded. Tracking Software such as ResMed’s AirView^TM, Philips Respironics’ EncoreAnywhere^TM, and the most recent open source option in high demand, SleepyHead^TM, will store data in user-friendly graphs and charts, for example, the Apnea-Hypopnea Index, Flow levels, Leak, Usage times, and Snore. These compliance reports are readymade for quick delivery and are specifically designed to reduce the chance for compliance-based errors. Apnea Board, a prominent online forum for all things related to sleep apnea, provides several software options free of charge, including the popular SleepyHead. According to Apnea Board, these software services place compliance into the hands of the patient, empowering them to take a more active role in their own treatment choices.

The Best Machines for a Traveling Lifestyle

In regard to the CPAP machines themselves, models such as the ResMed AirMini^TM, “the world's smallest CPAP,” are ideal as a “no-hassles” option for safe trucking. A recent development that features the most cutting-edge technologies and features, the AirMini is designed to provide a high-quality and comfortable therapy experience with minimal assembly requirements and maximum portability. Models like the ResMed AirMini, along with software accessories such as the SleepyHead system for easy data delivery, are optimal setups for time on the road. Additional battery charging options give the trucker even more convenience when stopping time is limited.

Conclusions

Whatever regulations or screening protocols that governments or companies end up adopting in the long term, those behind the movement to increase sleep apnea testing have health and safety in mind. CPAP therapy has been proven to save lives by preventing accidents caused by sleep debt, but it can also improve a patient’s overall quality of life. For those in the trucking industry who are concerned about treatment compliance, fortunately, an entire system of CPAP services has been customized specifically for the commercial driving occupation. If you are facing a request for testing or treatment, keep these tips in mind and give CPAP a chance. It may even breathe new life into your next outing.

Sources

Apnea Board

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Drowsy driving: asleep at the wheel.

Gurubhagavatula, I., et al. Recommendations of the AASM Sleep and Transportation Safety Awareness Task Force,, J Clin Sleep Med., 13(5), 745–757.

Jin, J. MD. - Screening for obstructive sleep apnea in adults. Jama Network.

ResMed. AirMini

SleepyHead

Straight, B. - Sleep apnea remains a solvable problem. Jama Network.

Wheaton AG, et al. Drowsy driving – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 61(51-52).