Let's Improve Your CPAP Experience - Survey Summary

Tracy R. Nasca - September 27, 2009

Most patients who are diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed CPAP will continue therapy for the rest of their lives. Once CPAP compliance is achieved, the basic equipment becomes part of their daily lives. Beyond the basic equipment of CPAP such as humidifiers and masks, there are non reimbursable products on the market today that make CPAP use more pleasant.
Talk About Sleep conducted a survey to ask compliant CPAP users if accessories helped improved their overall CPAP experience.  Accessories were described as including CPAP bed pillows, tubing covers, mask strap wraps, mask cleaning products and travel accessories.

Over 250 patients participated in the survey.

• Respondents were 50% Male and 50% Female.
• 87% were CPAP users with the remaining being spouses or caregivers of CPAP users. 
• 43% were over 60 years old, 43% were 46 to 60, the remaining 45 and younger.
• 37% reported being diagnosed and treated for more than 6 years.  26% reported treatment for 3-6 years and 25% reported treatment for 1-3 years, the  remaining less than one year.
• 42% said they were not aware that these CPAP accessories even existed.
• Those who had purchased accessories reporting buying them from a Home medical equipment suppliers retail store 35%, Online retailer 22% with the remaining buying from a drug store, directly from manufacturer or their sleep doctor or sleep lab.
• Respondents represented nearly all US states, in addition to, Australia, Canada, India, England, France, Germany, Israel, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, Portugal and Iran.

The survey focused on 4 CPAP accessory categories:  Cleaning, Comfort, Travel and Customization.  A comment section was offered for each category asking participants to tell us which products worked for them.  They were also asked to report comfort issues they had yet to resolve with products they had purchased or had attempted to make themselves.

Cleaning – all cleaning solutions/products including mask wipes for regular maintenance of CPAP, tubing and masks

47% said they were not aware of the existence of such products.  Those that use cleaning products bought them once since the beginning of treatment with the other half reporting use more than twice per year. 

Comfort – CPAP bed pillows, insulating tubing covers, mask strap wraps/covers and any product to facilitate comfort.

34% said they were not aware of the existence of such products.  Those that use comfort products reported use once since the beginning of treatment 23%, once per year 15%, more than once per year 16%.  13% reported no interest in buying such products.

Travel – Accessories to make travel with CPAP more convenient and hassle free including travel bags, power leads and battery packs.

35% said they were not aware of the existence of such products.  Those that use travel products bought them once since the beginning of treatment 26%, one per year 6%, more than once per year 5%.  21% had no interest in purchasing travel accessories. 

Customization – Accessories to personalize the look and aesthetics of the CPAP machine or mask including colored headgear, decorative tubing covers and mask headgear and mask wraps etc.

42% said they were not aware of the existence of such products.  Those that have purchase these accessories did so once since the beginning of treatment 9%, once per year 3% and more than once per year 2%.  42% report no interest in buying such products.

Comments – Responders were asked to report which products they used and found helpful and also to suggest products to assist in comfort that they have not been able to find.

Respondents report the difficulty of cleaning humidifier water chambers, wanting easier access to the interior of the water chamber and special brushes for cleaning chamber and CPAP tubing. 

Many reported that travel with CPAP is too cumbersome and thus choose to abandon therapy for vacations or business trips.  Business people and frequent travelers expressed willingness to purchase a second and smaller flow generator just for the purpose of travel.  Suggestions included better travel gear specifically made to accommodate CPAP equipment and the additional accessories.  Camping was the number one travel destination mentioned in our survey.  Patients report the desire and need for compact battery power for vacationing in areas without electricity or for long distance air travel. 

Those that use comfort products had purchased chin straps, extra headgear, tubing covers, CPAP pillows for nightly use and travel, tube positioning apparatus, longer tubing, bacterial filters, coiled heated tubing, ear and nose plugs, eye masks, white noise machines, manometers, battery power, alarm for power outage. CPAP bed pillows received the largest number of comments for products that resolve compliance and ease of CPAP use.  Most reported that the products listed above did resolve their comfort and compliance issues.

Comments for comfort and customization drew a significant number or responses. They included interest in less medical looking masks.  Whether dating or married, we received a considerable number of comments about the social embarrassment of wearing a mask.  No solutions were offered but many report they feel “less pretty”, ‘CPAP is not sexy”, “embarrassed that I look like an alien”, unattractiveness of strap marks left on face from headgear, request to resolve pressure point soreness and puffy eyes and lastly, requests for hair friendly headgear.  It is interesting to note that 50% of respondents were female and most of the comments in this section were from women.  This suggests that men are not interested in decorative accessories and women are. The majority of female responders were not aware of the existence of these products.

Responses clearly showed that despite CPAP compliance, the major challenge is mask leak and mask strap pressure point soreness.  Better accessories to combat these complaints are of interest.  Responders report that reasonable pricing is a consideration but resolving comfort issues is of high importance.

In summary, collectively over 40% of the respondents were not aware that many of the accessory products existed. Resolving mask comfort, leak and mask strap issues are the most common complaints which could be resolved with the help of the many accessories available on the market today.  Interest in battery power for home and travel was significant.   Since most accessory products are not reimbursable, many home health suppliers may not carry them which might explain the reason why patients are unaware.  

Although patients are willing to buy products over the internet, most prefer to see the products “in person” and rely on their local home healthcare providers to make them available.  Recommendation by physician, CPAP manufacturer and local home healthcare providers lend credibility to accessory products.

Most patients report that they were not introduced to accessories during their adjustment period for CPAP therapy and might have found compliance sooner and easier. CPAP compliance is vital for overall health.  Even the most compliant patients still have comfort issues. It is my opinion that our survey clearly shows a need for accessory awareness and better availability of such products on a local level and with introduction at first issue of equipment.

All respondants were entered in to a drawing.  Thank you for taking our survey and congratulations to our winners:

$100.00 cash winner Lawrence C. from Manhattan, KS
Double Edge PAPillow winner Daniel M from Worthington, OH
Insulated Tubing cover winners Tom H from Naples, FL and Martha W. from Clackamas, OR
Citrus II Mask Wipes winners Charles P from Amarillo, TX and Therese B from The Villages, FL