Redefining telemedicine in obstructive sleep apnea management through artificial intelligence

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Digital Health
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent, multifactorial disorder impacting quality of life and increasing healthcare costs.
• Personalized diagnosis and management are crucial due to OSA's heterogeneity.
• Telemedicine and AI are rapidly integrating into healthcare, offering new tools for complex conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize current advancements in telemedicine and AI for OSA management.
• To propose an integrated framework for leveraging these technologies across the OSA care continuum.
• To explore the potential of AI, including large language models, in patient-provider interactions and data triaging.

Main Methods:

• Review of current state-of-the-art telemedicine and AI applications in healthcare.
• Analysis of the integration of consumer-grade devices and advanced telehealth.
• Exploration of AI's role in automating tasks, data analytics, and hypothesis generation.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine implementation is expanding, especially in longitudinal care for large patient cohorts.
• AI, particularly large language models, offers opportunities to streamline communication and triage patient data.
• The full potential of telemedicine in OSA management remains underexplored but is growing.

Conclusions:

• An integrated framework combining telemedicine, AI, and a multidimensional understanding of OSA is proposed.
• This framework aims to optimize OSA care from screening and diagnosis to adherence and treatment.
• Leveraging technology can enhance efficiency, precision, and personalization in managing this complex condition.