Study Shows Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea in Truck Drivers

	Tweet

For commercial motor vehicle drivers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), effective treatment lowers healthcare costs and disability rates, reports a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Treating OSA in truck drivers has economic as well as health and safety benefits, according to the new study, led by Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, Chief Medical Officer of Waste Management, Inc.

The researchers used insurance claims records to evaluate the effects of OSA treatment in commercial motor vehicle drivers. Costs were compared for 156 drivers who received continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or other treatments for OSA and 92 drivers who were diagnosed with OSA but were not treated.

For treated drivers, health plan costs decreased by an average of $2,700 in the first year and another $3,100 in the second year, compared to no change for untreated drivers. The treated drivers also missed fewer work days (average 4.4 days in the first year) and had lower short-term disability costs ($528 over two years).

On average, treatment for OSA led to “over $6,000 in total health plan and disability cost savings per treated driver,” the researchers write. Total costs decreased by 41 percent in drivers treated for OSA (compared to an eight percent decrease in untreated drivers).

Sleep apnea is an important preventable cause of motor vehicle accidents, and studies have found that treatment for OSA can lower the accident rate. Screening and treatment for OSA has recently been recommended for commercial motor vehicle drivers.

The new study suggests that, in addition to lowering accident rates, treating OSA in commercial motor vehicle drivers can reduce health costs, work absences, and short-term disability. Dr. Hoffman and colleagues conclude, “Addressing OSA in the workplace offers the possibility of early identification and intervention for a chronic disease that is associated with increased health benefit utilization.”

About ACOEM
ACOEM (http://www.acoem.org), an international society of 5,000 occupational physicians and other health care professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.

About Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (http://www.joem.org) is the official journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Edited to serve as a guide for physicians, nurses, and researchers, the clinically oriented research articles are an excellent source for new ideas, concepts, techniques, and procedures that can be readily applied in the industrial or commercial employment setting.

Source:  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

RELATED STORIES:
Longer sleep times may counteract genetic factors related to weight gain   Lack of Sleep May Raise Risk of Diabetes   Study: Insomnia takes toll on tinnitus patients   Graying America gets wired to cut healthcare costs   Lack of Sleep May Raise Risk of Diabetes   When Snoring Is More Than a Bad Soundtrack   Less Than Six Hours Sleep Can Contribute To Early Death, Says Study   Sleep linked to heart woes   Why Do We Sleep?   Sleeping Pill Death Toll May Top 500,000   Southerners the sleepiest in the US, study says   Trouble sleeping? It may affect your memory later on

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]