TABLE 1.

CRITICAL ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE ADHERENCE

Pretreatment	With Treatment Initiation
Referral source: patient, bed partner, other physician	Heated humidification
Assessment of knowledge of OSA and perception of CPAP treatment	Phone call/follow-up first wk of treatment
Involvement of bed partner in education and treatment initiation	Assessment of CPAP use and associated outcomes
Evaluation of patient awareness and assessment of symptoms	Assessment of patient perception of treatment and symptom-related treatment response
How does patient handle challenges in life—active or passive problem solving?	Evaluation of bed partner perception of treatment
Assessment of claustrophobic tendencies	Troubleshoot problems immediately—especially during the first week of treatment
Evaluation of nasal resistance	Evaluate for the presence of residual sleepiness and, if present, initiate treatment
Patient-centered mask and device selection	Retitration if presence of residual events suspected
Exposure to CPAP before initiation of therapy

Definition of abbreviations: CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure; OSA = obstructive sleep apnea.

Reprinted by permission from Reference 61.