ove patient compliance with CPAP treatment protocols may be classified as both behavioral and technological. Chervin, Theut, Bassetti, and Aldrich (1997) found that two types of behavioral interventions were effective in improving patient compliance. The first intervention involved weekly telephone calls to patients to identify problems and encourage patient compliance, while the second intervention involved the providing of written information to patients on OSAS and the importance of CPAP in treating the condition. Both interventions were found to be effective to a statistically significant degree, and the positive effects were especially strong when the interventions occurred during the first month of CPAP treatment (Chervin, Theut, Bassetti, and Aldrich, 1997).
Meurice, et al. (1994) found that patients with the greatest initial clinical handicap were more likely than other patients to adhere to CPAP treatment protocols. Other findings of this study reinforced the value of continuous of patient supervision by health practitioners and encouragement of patients in increasing levels of treatment compliance.
Sanders, et al. (1994) found that the use of oronasal masks can be effective in CPAP therapy for patients who are either unable or unwilling to tolerate conventional nasal interfaces used with CPAP. The oronasal masks, however, are associated with higher incidences of pressure device failure and the aspiration of gastric contents than is the case with the conventional nasal interfaces used with CPAP (Sanders, et al., 1994).
Self-regulated CPAP machines also have been developed, and some health practitioners postulated that the self-regulation aspect of the devices would lead to higher levels of patient compliance with CPAP treatment protocols ("Auto CPAP in the Treatment of Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome," 1996). A later study found, however, that the self-regulated CPAP equipment not only did not led to higher levels ...