[Patient satisfaction after mandibular orthosis fitting by teleconsultation]

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Telehealth
• Medical Device Adjustment

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread adoption of telemedicine.
• Teleconsultations were implemented for the titration of mandibular advancement devices used to treat sleep apnea.
• Patient satisfaction with this novel consultation method was the primary focus of the investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction with telemedicine-based consultations for sleep apnea device adjustments.
• To assess the feasibility and acceptance of remote consultations for managing oral appliances.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a satisfaction questionnaire.
• Participants included patients who received teleconsultations for appliance adjustment between March 2020 and February 2021.

Main Results:

• Seventeen out of seventy-five patients (22.7%) accepted telemedicine adjustments, with a mean age of 52.3 years.
• Consultations were brief (average 5 minutes) and often occurred at the patient's workplace.
• Overall satisfaction was high, with a mean score of 4.3 out of 5.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine for sleep apnea device adjustment, though not universally adopted, yielded high patient satisfaction.
• The process is technologically and administratively simple to implement.
• This service can be offered as a supplementary, age-inclusive option for patient care.