Lessons from healthcare utilization in children with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Sleep Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea-Hypopnoea Syndrome (OSAS) is a multisystemic condition in children impacting their health status.
• Analyzing healthcare demand provides insights into the burden of pediatric OSAS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the frequency of medical consultations in children with OSAS over a 5-year period.
• To compare healthcare utilization in children with OSAS against a healthy control population.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal, case-control, ambispective study involving 69 children with OSAS and matched healthy controls.
• Healthcare utilization data were collected for 5 years: 2 years before, the year of, and 2 years after treatment.
• The Frequentation Index (FI) was calculated as the ratio of health service use between OSAS children and controls.

Main Results:

• The FI was significantly higher in OSAS children 2 years (1.89) and 1 year (2.15) before treatment compared to controls.
• Following treatment, the FI decreased but remained elevated at 1.59 (1 year post-treatment) and 1.72 (2 years post-treatment).
• Otolaryngological and pneumological diseases were the primary reasons for consultations, showing improvement after treatment.

Conclusions:

• Children with OSAS exhibit increased healthcare demand for at least two years prior to treatment, indicating potential for early, undiagnosed disease.
• Therapeutic interventions for OSAS improve healthcare service utilization, though it persists at higher levels than in healthy children.
• Elevated healthcare utilization post-treatment suggests potential OSAS sequelae or persistent disease activity requiring ongoing management.