Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Dec 6, 2024
Date Accepted: Apr 5, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Enhancing Adherence to CPAP Therapy in OSA Patients: The Potential Application of Augmented Reality – a protocol for a randomized controlled trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is the gold standard treatment for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, patient adherence to CPAP therapy remains a critical challenge, with many individuals finding it difficult to maintain consistent use due to discomfort, lack of understanding, or perceived inconvenience. Augmented Reality (AR) offers a novel approach to overcoming these barriers by providing interactive, real-time guidance to users, potentially enhancing adherence rates.
Objective:
This clinical trial aims to exam the feasibility of AR implementation and the effect of AR on improving CPAP adherence in OSA patients.
Methods:
A randomized clinical trial with a parallel assignment will be conducted. Participants are randomly assigned to either an experimental group, receiving AR-guided CPAP therapy, or a control group receiving standard care. The study spans six months, with assessments at baseline (T0), and with follow-ups at 1-month (T1), 3-month (T2) and 6-month (T3) post-intervention. The primary outcome measure is CPAP adherence, defined as using the CPAP device for more than 70% of sleep time, with a minimum of 4 hours per night. Secondary outcomes will evaluate the common adverse effects associated with CPAP, device usability, and time required for CPAP machine use education
Results:
This study aims to determine whether AR-guided CPAP therapy—by facilitating the selection of appropriately fitting mask sizes, providing hands-on training for correct mask use, and offering troubleshooting support—significantly improves patient adherence compared to standard care. Furthermore, it identifies potential barriers to implementing AR, offering valuable insights for future research and clinical practice.
Conclusions:
This study aims to advance chronic disease management through the introduction of innovative, technology-driven interventions to enhance CPAP therapy. Clinical Trial: The study was registered under the number NCT06520592 on Aug. 23, 2024.
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