Quantifying the impact of the Philips recall on patients with sleep apnea and clinicians

Philips Respironics issued a voluntary recall of positive airway pressure devices used to treat obstructive sleep apnea in June 2021. We surveyed sleep medicine clinicians from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine membership to assess the impact of the recall on clinicians and patients.

One hundred thirty-six clinicians participated between June 2022 and November 2022. Participants reported their treatment recommendations for patients affected by the recall, their patients' behaviors regarding the recall, the recall's impact on them as clinicians and on their patients, and the approximate time their patients were waiting for a replacement device.

Clinicians most commonly reported first learning about the recall from Philips (25.0%), and patients most commonly first heard about the recall from news sources (34.5%). Most clinicians (62.4%) reported that they recommended patients continue using a recalled device. In comparison, only 9.3% of clinicians reported encouraging patients to stop using their recalled device. Clinicians reported that 59.9% of patients continued treatment with their recalled device, whereas 26.5% stopped treatment. Clinicians reported that over one-third of their patients were still waiting for a replacement machine. Most (86.8%) clinicians reported their stress levels were affected due to the recall, and 91.5% of clinicians reported the recall affected their patients' health and well-being. Most (83.3%) clinicians reported the recall affected their patients' trust in medicine.

Clinicians reported that the Philips recall impaired the vast majority of their patients' health and trust in medicine and that many patients were still waiting for replacement devices.

Robbins R, Epstein LJ, Pavlova MK, et al. Quantifying the impact of the Philips recall on patients with sleep apnea and clinicians. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(9):1677-1683.