With the OSAS care pathway, as a general practitioner you can rule out that a patient has OSAS (sleep apnea). This is done with a pulse oximetry measurement with the OSAsense watch. The patient does this nocturnal measurement himself in the home setting. In addition, the patient fills out a questionnaire online. Diagnostics via OSAsense is patient-friendly, quick, low-threshold, relatively inexpensive and intended only for exclusion diagnostics. The OSAS care pathway is not a screening: referral to a sleep center remains necessary to demonstrate OSAS.

Read more about OSAsense here in the article written by GHC Groningen.

The Dokkum GP Center now offers diagnostics for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) using OSAsense. This service includes a validated online questionnaire and an overnight saturation measurement with a special watch-shaped saturation meter.

The OSAsense algorithm detects sleep apnea with high sensitivity (~100%) and specificity (>70%). By using OSAsense before referring patients to a sleep center, unnecessary and costly investigations can be avoided for low-risk patients, while patients at significant risk can be quickly and effectively referred for diagnosis and treatment. If you experience symptoms such as snoring with breath stops, it is recommended that you make an appointment with your primary care physician.

Read more about OSAsense here in the article written by the Huisartsencentrum Dokkum.

OSAsense is an innovative method to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) quickly, easily and cost-effectively, with the goal of more targeted patient referral. Untreated OSA can cause serious health damage. Traditional referral to specialized sleep centers is labor-intensive and costly, with a significant percentage of incorrect referrals. OSAsense provides (family) physicians with a screening tool that reduces the number of unnecessary referrals by approximately 70% by reliably identifying patients. The innovation has led to faster diagnoses, better utilization of sleep centers, decreasing waiting lists and significant cost savings.

The development of OSAsense began with the identification of crucial parameters for determining breath-hold during sleep. It resulted in a validated saturation monitor that continuously measures oxygen levels. OSAsense has already screened over 15,000 patients since 2015, with over 400 primary care physicians involved and collaborations with health insurance companies. The innovation has led to publications in scientific journals and wide acceptance in healthcare.

Internist-allergist/immunologist Rick G. Pleijhuis emphasizes the personal development the project has provided him, from organizational skills to collaboration and leadership. The project has broadened his training as a medical specialist and continues to benefit him.

Next steps include using OSAsense more broadly in primary care and exploring applications for other conditions. Stakeholders involved include health insurers, primary care practices, colleges and medical centers.

Read more about OSAsense here in the extensive article written by the Federation of Medical Specialists.

With the care path OSAS, you can easily rule out that a patient has OSAS (sleep apnea). This is done with a pulse oximetry measurement with the so-called OSAsense watch. The patient takes a nocturnal measurement in the home situation himself. In addition, he or she fills out a questionnaire online. For participation in this care path, you receive a reimbursement.

Read more about OSAsense here in the article written by Doctor Drenthe.

OSAsense offers a simple screening for sleep apnea in which patients fill out an online questionnaire at home and sleep one night with the OSAsense S18 saturation meter, which detects breath stops by measuring blood oxygen levels. The measured data is analyzed and fed back to the primary care physician, who refers patients to a sleep center if necessary. Complaints such as fatigue, snoring and difficulty concentrating can indicate sleep apnea, whose risk factors range from obesity to sleep position. The OSAsense screening is free at the doctor's office and is reimbursed by health insurance companies, with no deductible. Scientific research confirms the safety and effectiveness of the OSAsense method.

Read more about OSAsense here in the article written by Huisartsenpraktijk D.J. van den Berg.

GPs in Groningen are making extensive use of OSAsense, a device that can rule out apnea. This innovative tool, invented by doctors in Groningen and further developed by the University of Twente and the Medisch Spectrum Twente, acts as a smartwatch that patients wear while they sleep. Apnea, in which breathing stalls during sleep, can lead to oxygen dips and increased heart rate. OSAsense detects these dips through a patch on the finger that measures blood oxygen levels and heart rate.

Previously, patients with suspected sleep apnea were immediately referred to the hospital for extensive sleep studies with sensors and electrodes. OSAsense offers general practitioners an effective preliminary examination, reducing unnecessary referrals by 30 percent, according to general practitioner and co-inventor Tjitte Verbeek. The watch can rule out apnea with certainty, reducing unnecessary waiting lists for sleep centers.

Patients like Erik Vos are experiencing the benefits of OSAsense, where the watch can determine with certainty after a night's sleep whether further apnea examinations are needed. This efficient preliminary examination has convinced more than 120 general practices in Groningen and also in Twente to integrate OSAsense, and further expansion to Friesland and Drenthe is planned. The application falls within the basic reimbursement of health insurances, which which means no additional costs for patients. OSAsense offers not only convenience and efficiency for general practitioners, but also reassurance and faster diagnosis options for patients with sleep-related complaints.

Read more about OSAsense here in the extensive article written by RTV Noord.

OSAsense, developed by students of Technical Medicine at the University of Twente in collaboration with the Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST), is a pioneering tool that enables accelerated, simplified diagnosis of sleep apnea. The innovation consists of a saturation meter, a watch-like device for data storage and a digital questionnaire that allows patients to perform their own sleep studies at home. Michel Eijsvogel, pulmonologist at MST, emphasizes that OSAsense has reduced the number of unnecessary referrals to specialists by thirty percent.

Sleep apnea affects six to 10 percent of adults, with breathing frequently stalling during sleep. Previously, patients were often referred to specialists without a thorough examination option at the primary care physician's office. OSAsense has optimized this process by giving patients a saturation meter and a watch to take home for an overnight examination. The saturation meter measures the number of breaths per hour, with blood oxygen levels falling during these stops. Combined with a digital questionnaire, OSAsense provides the family physician with enough data for reliable screening for sleep apnea.

What sets OSAsense apart is not only the improved referral to specialists, but also the ability for family physicians to initiate treatments themselves in mild cases or low-risk sleep apnea.

Read more about OSAsense here in the extensive article written by the University of Twente.

In 2017, over 100,000 patients received a referral due to sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), but one-third of them were ultimately found not to have OSAS. At the same time, the majority of OSAS patients still walk around undiagnosed. So there is a need for better preselection of patients. Dutch research shows that OSAS can be easily, safely and easily excluded in general practice with a questionnaire and nocturnal oxygen measurement.

Read more about OSAsense here in the article written on the GP and Science website.

ALMELO/HAAKSBERGEN - The OSAsense measurement method from Haaksbergen to measure sleep apnea in a low-threshold manner was used much more by general practitioners last year than previously expected. Across Twente, 1,674 people were screened for sleep apnea using the innovative method.

The OSAsense screening tool, designed to identify sleep apnea quickly and easily by measuring oxygen levels during sleep, has achieved remarkable success in the Twente region. After a recent evaluation among general practitioners, it appears that 180 general practitioners, significantly more than expected, are actively using the tool. The first year screened 1,674 patients, more than double the originally estimated 800.

The wristwatch, equipped with a finger sensor, enables low-threshold screening, also recognizing asymptomatic symptoms. The results not only demonstrate the convenience for patients, but also illustrate the cost-effectiveness in that only 67% of screened patients are ultimately referred to hospitals.

Patients, such as Mr. Damveld from Almelo, praise OSAsense for its ability to quickly identify suspected sleep apnea. The innovation, born out of cooperation between healthcare groups, health insurer Menzis, Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST) and local start-up DiagnOSAS, is now expanding to the Zwolle and Groningen regions, spreading its success further.

Read more about OSAsense here in the extensive article written by Menzis.

A Twente invention, the OSAsense watch, which can quickly and easily rule out or indicate sleep apnea, is proving successful beyond expectations. The watch measures oxygen levels during sleep and has been used by 180 general practitioners in 1,674 patients, double the expected number. The watch provides rapid screening, avoiding the intensive process of a hospital examination for many. After a year, only 67% of patients were referred, demonstrating both patient convenience and cost savings. The success in Twente has led to use of the tool in other regions such as Zwolle and Groningen.

Read more about OSAsense here in the article written by RTV Oost.

OSAsense is an accessible screening tool for detecting obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in general practices that allows for rapid screening of patients and reduces unnecessary referrals to sleep centers by approximately eighty percent. The tool includes an online questionnaire and overnight saturation measurement with a watch-shaped saturation meter. The algorithm has high sensitivity (~100%) and specificity (>70%). It offers GPs a fast, patient-friendly, and cost-effective way to rule out sleep apnea, leading to better referrals and significant cost savings. GPs experience it as a valuable tool for more targeted referrals and faster clarity for patients, while minimizing the burden on GPs. The implementation pilot, launched May 1, already has participation from one hundred and thirty Twente GPs and is seen as a successful step toward wider deployment of OSAsense.

Read even more about OSAsense in the comprehensive article written by first line here.

A Haaksberg invention involves a watch that measures oxygen levels during sleep to recognize sleep apnea. GP Kasper Veldhuis explains that the watch can indicate in one night whether there is a risk of sleep apnea. Recognizing sleep apnea is difficult because of vague symptoms, but the watch, which measures sleep for 6 to 8 hours with a patch on the finger, offers quick results. Although the watch does not provide a definitive diagnosis, it facilitates hospital referral or exclusion of sleep apnea, saving both time and costs for the patient, health care provider and insurer, said internist Rick Pleijhuis.

Read more about OSAsense here in the extensive article written by RTV Oost.

The OSAsense is a low-threshold method for detecting sleep apnea, developed in Twente. It consists of a watch and a disposable sensor that measures oxygen levels. General practitioners, including Kasper Veldhuis, use it to perform faster and cheaper sleep apnea screening.

The watch is given to the patient, who sleeps with the sensor at night. After returning the watch, the general practitioner receives a detailed analysis, which can quickly determine whether there is a serious suspicion of sleep apnea. This avoids unnecessary wait times and costs when referring to a sleep center.

Sleep apnea can be effectively treated with solutions such as mouth braces or mouth caps, resulting in improved energy levels for the patient. The OSAsense method is expanding and is being presented at international conferences, such as the upcoming conference in England where Veldhuis will share his experiences with a thousand English general practitioners.

Read even more about the deployment of OSAsense in the article written by the Tubantia here.