Three-dimensional mean disease alleviation (3D-MDA): The next step in measuring sleep apnea treatment effectiveness

Mean disease alleviation measures the effectiveness of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) treatments. It combines a patient's adherence to treatment normalized to their total sleep time and the treatment's efficacy as determined by the change in the apnea-hypopnea index. This metric fails to capture the patient's OSA-related symptoms, which are a key component and, in some cases, the primary component, of determining response to treatment. We propose an enhanced metric called three-dimensional mean disease alleviation (3D-MDA), which incorporates the symptom response to better reflect the true treatment impact. RESULTS: The proposed 3D-MDA metric aims to provide a more comprehensive assessment of OSA treatment effectiveness by integrating the subjective impact, therapy adherence, and objective efficacy. Further, 3D-MDA is adaptable over time as the optimal metrics for these categories continue to evolve.