Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially among critically ill patients. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends inpatient diagnosis and treatment of OSA and close follow-up. The aim of this study is to identify potential barriers preventing follow-up after discharge. Methods This study is part of a larger project to evaluate the efficacy of inpatient sleep medicine consults at a large urban tertiary health center. This is a retrospective review of encounters for hospitalized adults from January 2015 to September 2025, and for which sleep medicine was consulted. Paired t-tests and chi square tests were calculated. Results Of 703 consults, 50% (n=353) had follow-up scheduled and 57% (n=202) of those showed up for the appointment. Of those who followed up, 59% (n=120) had subsequent visits. There was an average of 214 days between discharge and follow up. Those discharged with PAP were more likely to show up for their follow up appointment compared to those who were not discharged with PAP (p 0.001). There was no significant difference in demographics, insurance, BMI, length of stay, disposition, or AHI between those who followed up and those who did not follow up. Conclusion Patients discharged with PAP are more likely to follow up after discharge, highlighting an important link in the transition of care. Our results revealed a prolonged duration of time between discharge and follow-up, which is likely multifactorial. These results serve as lessons learned for our program and other programs wishing to improve their consult services. Support (if any)
Jordan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.