News Feature | September 26, 2014

Data Generated PAP Devices Connect With EHR To Improve Sleep Apnea Treatment

By Karla Paris

EHR Connected PAP Devices

Compliance management platform’s connection to hospital’s existing EHR provides the best outcome for sleep apnea patients and health system alike.

Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, have become a significant health issue in the U.S. It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed.

Fairview Health Services, a nonprofit, academic health system headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, recently announced that it is able to deliver up to date sleep apnea patient data for use by Fairview's medical staff. Fairview Health Services' Epic EHR system is now securely connected with ResMed’s AirView compliance management platform (previously EasyCare Online).

Launched in June 2014, the integration of this data supports streamlined workflow, reduced cost, improved quality and responsiveness of therapy, and automated access to data for analytical and clinical outcome decision support.

Data generated by PAP devices, such as the ResMed S9 series and AirSens 10 series, enables medical professionals to remotely monitor patient therapy compliance to take appropriate action based on specific outcomes. With ResMed’s AirView connection to Fairview's Epic EHR, clinicians now have access to patient PAP therapy data within their EHR system, eliminating the need to log in to multiple patient management systems to view patient outcomes.

Key features enabled with this solution include:

  • Boarding of sleep therapy patients from the EHR into the ResMed AirView patient management system.
  • Daily updating of PAP therapy effectiveness data from the patient's home directly into the EHR via AirView.
  • Sleep health therapy management workflow and tracking tools embedded in the EHR, displaying key patient PAP metrics for various time intervals, customized to meet the needs of Fairview clinicians.
  • Creation of a secure patient data warehouse to support advanced analytics such as the impact of sleep apnea on comorbid conditions.

Fairview Health Services is an award-winning team of more than 20,000 people along with more than 3,000 credentialed physicians who are dedicated to providing clinical care and experience to its patients and their families. Fairview serves patients from across the state of Minnesota, the upper Midwest, and beyond through its operations of: 2,530 licensed beds, 1,475 staffed beds, 40-plus primary care clinics, 55-plus specialty clinics, and more.

In partnership with the University of Minnesota, Fairview is an academic health system committed to nation-leading research and educating physicians and health care professionals.

SOURCE: PR Newswire