Design, Development, and Evaluation of a Telemedicine Platform for Patients With Sleep Apnea (Ognomy): Design Science...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Medical Informatics
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• The global prevalence of sleep apnea is increasing, nearing one billion cases worldwide.
• An aging population and rising healthcare costs necessitate innovative care delivery models like telemedicine.
• There is a significant gap between the rising demand for sleep apnea care and available resources and expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, develop, and evaluate Ognomy, a telemedicine platform tailored for sleep apnea patient care.
• To create a comprehensive digital solution for remote consultation, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep apnea.
• To address the challenges of underdiagnosis and undertreatment of sleep apnea through accessible technology.

Main Methods:

• Employed the design science research methodology for platform development.
• Conducted expert workshops, interviews, and design reviews to define requirements and architecture.
• Performed formative usability assessments and end-to-end system testing to refine the platform.

Main Results:

• Identified critical functional requirements including patient registration, data collection, appointments, video consultation, and progress tracking.
• Developed a multi-component platform: patient mobile app, provider web app, reporting dashboard, and AI chatbot.
• Iterative improvements based on usability feedback focused on onboarding, status indicators, and calendar management.

Conclusions:

• Sleep apnea remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, highlighting the need for accessible care solutions.
• The developed telemedicine platform demonstrates a successful application of design science research for sleep apnea management.
• Ognomy offers a viable solution to meet the increasing demand for quality sleep apnea care through technology.