Clinical Audit of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Case Study in Sleep Disorders

Abstract

Background: Clinical audit (CA) is a standard method for improving the quality of health service. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the CA status of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) clinical services at the sleep disorders research center of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Iran. Methods: The current research was conducted on 91 patients with OSA records in 2019 - 2020. The CA steps were performed, and the data extracted from the checklist were described using SPSS software version 16. Results: The age average of the patients was 50.10 (standard deviation = 13.16), ranging from 16 to 76 years. The services were provided to all patients (100%) based on indicators such as training in a healthy lifestyle related to OSA (weight control, not drinking alcohol, and sleep health behaviors) and appropriate prescribing of medications and devices, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP). Follow-up on prescribing CPAP and BiPAP devices, informing patients about the frequency of possible surgeries, and follow-up treatment were weak indicators and did not follow the standards. Conclusions: Based on the results, the treatment follow-up indicators of OSA patients are not in compliance with the standards, and attention must be paid to these indicators in providing clinical services to OSA patients in western Iran.