Bleep–DreamPorttheCPAPSolutionProvidersCanDepend
onforImprovedPatientOutcomes
AnUphillClimbIntroducingapatienttoCPAPtherapyhasitsrewardsanditschallenges.Itistrulygratifyingwhenapatientwakesfromsleepwithreliefaftertheinitialtitrationhasgiventhemthelong-missedrestfulsleeptheycrave.Youaredeeplyawareofboththebenefitsofcompliancetotherapyandtherisksofnoncompliance.Youdoyourbesttoconveytheseriskstoyourpatientsandurgethemtogivethetherapyachance.Youworkwithpatientstoachievetheusethresholdofatleast4hoursofatleast70percentofnights,knowingitbothasrequisiteforinsurancecoverageandagoodbaselineforseeingareductioninthesymptomsandanimprovedqualityoflife.AndyoualsoknowthatestimatesofOSApatientnoncompliancetoeffectiveCPAPtherapyrangefrom20-oddto80-oddpercent(Chiner,Andreu,Sancho-Chust,Sánchez-de-la-Torre,&Barbé,2013).Youmayhavereadthefive-yearfollowupthatpointsoutthatnonadherenceistypicallyundercounted,becauseitexcludesprescribedpatientswholookattheoptions,areintimidatedandsimplyrefusetobegintherapy(Wolkoveetal.,2008).Youmayhavealsoseen,astheresearchsuggests,thatthemoretimeyoucanspendwithpatientsexplainingCPAP’sbenefitsandensuringitsadoptiongoessmoothly,thelikelieryourpatientsaretosticktoandderivebenefitfromtherapy.Andyouknowbetterthananyoneabouttheintensetimepressuresthatmaykeepyouinlockstepwithyourscheduledcaseload,sothatthispatientor
thatjustdoesn’tgetthatextrafiveortenminutesthatmightgetthemofftoabetterstart.Andinevitablyyouarefamiliarwithpatients’initialreactions:theshudder,theflinch,thesigh,andthe“Ihavetowearthat?Everynight?I’lllooklikeDarthVader!”IntimidatingFirstImpressionInitialimpressionsofCPAPmaskoptionswillinfluencesuccessfuladoptionamongthosewhoarewillingtogiveCPAPtherapyatry.AreviewofadherencepatternscitesmultiplestudiesindicatingthedecisiontoembraceorrejectCPAPismostoftenmadeduringthefirstweekoftherapy,andpredictslong-termadherence(Weaver&Grunstein,2008).Infact,aNationalInstituteofHealth(NIH)study(Wolkoveetal.,2008)outlinedsomecriticalmaskissuesthatcontributedtononcompliance.Thoseissuesare:
• Maskdiscomfort• Claustrophobia• Frequentawakening• Nasaldiscomfort
Especiallyduringinitialtitration,thelessenclosing/constrainingthetherapymodepresented,thelikeliersuchpatientsmaybetocomply.WhatPatientsReallyThinkAboutCPAPMasksBleeprecentlyconductedasurveyofCPAPusersthatwasdesignedtoidentifytheleadingareasofdissatisfactionwithCPAPmasks.ThesurveyrevealedthatlessthanhalfofcurrentusersarehighlysatisfiedwiththeircurrentCPAPmask.Perhapsmoretellingly,only44%wouldrecommendtheircurrentmask,eventofriendssufferingfromsleepapnea.Applyingthenetpromoterscore,acommonmeasureofcustomerloyalty,theresultsyieldedNPSscoresforCPAPmasks(19.1%)aboutonaparwiththatofmediacompanies,andbelowthatforthepublicsectorandthephonecarriers,andfarbelowthatofhealthcareingeneral.SleepapneapatientsaredissatisfiedwithcurrentCPAPmasksolutions.
TheBiggestAnnoyanceTheleadingissueswithCPAPmasksinourresearchwerebrokensealsandfrequentawakeningsduringthenight,withlessthan4outof10usersindicatingtheywereveryorextremelysatisfiedwithmaskperformanceintheseareas.Theyfurtherexpresseddissatisfactionwithairbeingblownintotheireyesorelsewhere,havingtheirsleepingpositionormotionrestrictedinordertoavoidleakage,andneedingtorepositionthemaskand/ortightenstrapsduringthenight,furtherawakeningthemanddisturbingsleep.ThatReallyChapsMyFaceOver40%oftherespondentsweredissatisfiedwithskinirritationsandchappingthattraditionalmaskscause.Inaddition,36%oftheoverallsamplepopulationdidnotlikethelinesthatthemaskleftontheirfaceinthemorningandthisnumberjumpsto53%whenlookingjustatfemalerespondents.Respondentsalsoidentifiedtheforcerequiredtoensureatightsealasaparticularsourceofdiscomfort(36%weredissatisfied).HarmfulBacteriaOverandabovethediscomfortandinconvenienceofparticularmasksandpillows,thereisanadditionalriskthatconcernsCPAPusers–bacteriabuildup.TheyrealizethatwiththemoisturefromtheCPAPhumidificationandtheirbreath,themaskandtubecanbeabreedinggroundforharmfulbacteria. Ofcoursepatientsaretaughtthatthereisacleaningprotocoltoensurehealthsafety.Justhowwelldopatientsadheretoit?Theonesinoursurveyadmit:notthatwell.Alittleoverhalf(55%)claimtocleantheirmasks“asoftenasIshould”,whiletheother45%areeitherambivalent(26%)orfeeltheydonotcleanitenough(19%).Aroughlysimilardistributionappearsonthequestionofmaskreplacement“asoftenasIshould”:46%agree,16%disagree,38%ambivalent.Whenitcomestocleaningtheconnectionhose,responsesfellintonear-quartilesrangingfrom“morethanonceamonth”(27%)through“aboutonceamonth”(27%)and“everyfewmonths”(21%)to“onceortwiceayearorless”(25%).
IntroducingtheBleep–DreamPortSleepSolutionAmoreidealscenariowouldbetopresentaCPAPinterfacetothepatientthatwasnotatraditionalmaskatall.Itssmallersizeandreducedweightwoulddealspecificallywithanyissuesrelatedtoclaustrophobiaandmaskdiscomfort.Inaddition,thedesignofhowthemaskisappliedtothefacewouldbemuchmoresecurethantoday’smask,enablingpatientstosleepthroughthenightmoresoundlywithoutfrequentawakenings.ThatispreciselythedesignoftheBleep-DreamPortSleepSolution.Weliketocallita“masklesssolution”becausethereisnocumbersomeheadgear,nostrapsanditishalftheweightandsizeofnasalpillowmasks.Theinterfaceisheldonthepatient’sfacewithgentle,hypoallergenictapethatsealstheDreamPortssecurelyatthebaseofthenostril.Thatmeansnothingentersthenostrilexceptthestreamofairfromthemachine.Andmostimportantly,thegentleadhesivestripsensureamuchstrongersealthanothermasksonthemarkettoday.TheDreamPortSleepSolution’sswivelconnectoreasilyattachestoanyCPAPmachine.LessisMoreAsrecentlydiscussedinaroundtableofsleepclinicandresearchexperts(SleepReview,2015),thetrendtowardsmallerandmorediscreetinterfacesbetterservesyoungerusers,peoplewhotravelandpeoplewhodesireamoreactivelifestyle.Forallsuchpatients,wewouldhopetohelpjump-startadoptionbyafirstimpressionthatsuggests—andreal-lifeusethatdelivers—compactness,sleekdesign,portability,andeaseofuse.And,ofcourse,forallcurrentuserswhovaliantlymaintaintheirtherapydespitetheirdissatisfactions,wewanttoofferanotheroptiontomakeiteasiertopersevereandreapthebenefitsofCPAPtherapy.
Ourguidingdesignprincipleisthatincreasedcomfortandease—alongwitheliminationofsomeofthedrawbacksofmasksandheadgear—willdrivegreateradherenceandthereforehealthierbenefitstotheCPAPcommunity.Fortheincreasingnumberofoutcomedrivenpatients,thiscanimprovetheirdataandhelpthemachieveindividualhealthgoals,aswellasmeettheevergrowingdemandsbasedoninsurancecomplianceandreimbursement.TheTakeawayBleep-DreamPortiscommittedtoprovidingasolutionforyouandyourpatientsthat:
§ Removesheadgear§ Eliminatesclaustrophobia§ Banishesvanitylinesontheface§ Stopsskinsorenessanddamage§ Reducesleaks§ Weighshalf(orless)asmuchastraditionalmasks§ Fits—withoutfitting—allsizesandshapesofheadsand
faces§ Reducesbothmaintenanceandinfections§ Deliverssignificantaddedvalue
Webelieveourpatentedlightweight,unobtrusive,adhesive-baseddesignwillbecomeanewgoldstandard.Nothingcouldpleaseusmorethanhelpingtousherinanewgoldenageofpatientadherenceandsatisfaction—andmaybehelpingtomakeyourprofessionallifealittleeasierandmorerewarding.Isn’tittimethatCPAPlivesuptothepromiseofbettersleep?Thatitfulfillsallthebenefitsyouexpectforyourpatient.Wethinkso.AndyouwilltowiththehelpofBleep-DreamPort.Thesleepyourpatientdeserves.Thesleepsolutiontheyneed.AbouttheCompany
ReferencesChiner,E.,Andreu,A.L.,Sancho-Chust,J.N.,Sánchez-de-la-Torre,A.,&Barbé,F.(2013).Theuseofambulatorystrategiesforthediagnosisandtreatmentofobstructivesleepapneainadults.ExpertReviewofRespiratoryMedicine,7(3),259–273.http://doi.org/10.1586/ers.13.19SleepReview.(2015,September16).TheFutureofObstructiveSleepApneaTherapy(PodcastwithTranscript).RetrievedAugust9,2016,fromhttp://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2015/09/future-obstructive-sleep-apnea-therapy/Weaver,T.E.,&Grunstein,R.R.(2008).AdherencetoContinuousPositiveAirwayPressureTherapy(ATSJournals).RetrievedAugust9,2016,fromhttp://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1513/pats.200708-119MG#.V6nwVJMrLfBWolkove,N.,Baltzan,M.,Kamel,H.,Dabrusin,R.,&Palayew,M.(2008).Long-termcompliancewithcontinuouspositiveairwaypressureinpatientswithobstructivesleepapnea.CanadianRespiratoryJournal :JournaloftheCanadianThoracicSociety,15(7),365–369.
Bleepisacompanythathasbeendeeplyconnectedtothesleepapneacommunity.OurfounderandCEOisStuartHeatherington,anRPSGTandinventorwhohassufferedfromsleepapneaandusedCPAPtherapysince1998.StuartknowsfirsthandboththebenefitsofCPAPandtheproblemsandconcernsthatleadmanyuserstorefuseorabandontherapy.Thoseexperiencesdrovethedevelopmentofanewapproachtoensuringadequateairsupplyanduninterruptedbreathingduringsleepwithouttheconventionalmasks,straps,andotherencumbrancesthatcancompromiseagreatnightofrest.Ourmissionistodelivertheworld’ssmallest,lightestandmostcomfortableCPAPsolution.
AdditionalResourcesMoreaboutNetPromoterScoreanditsimportancecanbefoundonWikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_PromoterAusefulBlogtoreadaboutNetPromoterScorecanbefoundathttp://blog.clientheartbeat.com/net-promoter-score/AnotherusefullinkaboutthesignificanceofNetPromoterScoreonbusinesscanbereadathttps://www.netpromoter.com
Bleep for a Good Night’s Sleep: How an Innovative CPAP “Maskless” Solution will Transform Therapy
ThemosteffectiveCPAPmasksaretheonesworn
comfortablybysleepapneapatients.However,findingthe
rightCPAPmaskiseasiersaidthandone.Manyofushavebeen
therebefore;it’samuchbiggerissuethanyoumightrealize.Did
youknowthatupto20million(yesmillion)peoplehavesleep
apneaintheUnitedStates?Prettyamazingisn’tit?Andthat
numberisgrowingbyover7%ayearintheUSAand16%
worldwide.Yet,nearly50%ofthemfailoutontherapyandCPAP
maskscontributesignificantlytothat.Thatmeansalotofpatients
areunsatisfied.Accordingtoourresearch,nearly80%ofCPAP
userswouldnotevenrecommendtheirownmask.
Thatwassomethingthatourfounder,StuartHeatherington,a20
yearSleepTechnician(RPSGT)and18yearCPAPuserlearned
first-handfromhisowntherapyandobservingactualpatients
strugglenotonlyinthelabsetting,butathome,too.Thefailure
rateswereaslargeasthelistofcomplaints.That’swhyhecreated
theBleep–DreamPortSleepSolution.
Ifyousufferfromobstructivesleepapneachancesareyouhave
triedcontinuouspositiveairwaypressure(CPAP)machinesand
masks;oratleastyourdoctorhasrecommendedittoyou.
DoctorsrecommendCPAPasatreatmentforsleepapneamore
oftenthanothertreatmentsbecause,ifdoneproperly,itishighly
effective,anditdoesnotinvolvetherisksanddiscomforts
associatedwithsurgeries1.Longconsideredthegoldstandardfor
therapy,CPAPhasthepotentialtoimprovesleep,energy2,and
mood3.However,asyoulikelyknowifyou’vetriedCPAP,there
areanumberofproblemswithexistingmasksthatmakeCPAP
uncomfortableandthereforeineffectiveforsomepatients.If
you’vestruggledwithCPAP,you’renotalone.Uptohalfofthe
patientswhoaresupposedtouseCPAPdonotweartheirmasks
enoughtoachievethedesiredbenefits4.
ThereareanumberofreasonsyoumayfindyourCPAPmask
wearingexperiencelessthansatisfactoryaccordingtoaNational
InstituteofHealth(NIH)study.Thatstudyidentifiedthese
commonproblemswithwearingCPAPmasks5:
• Frequentawakeningsduringthenightduetomaskleaks
• Claustrophobia
• Nasaldiscomfort
• Generalmaskdiscomfort
InanefforttoovercomechallengesassociatedwithyourCPAP
treatment,youmayhavetriedoutmultiplesizesofnasalornasal
pillowmasks,puttinggelpadsbetweenthemaskandyourskinor
justwearingitforpartofthenight.However,regardlessofwhich
specificapproachyou’vetaken,itislikelythatyouhavenothada
particularlypositiveexperienceandarestillsearchingfora
betterCPAPmasktherapy.TheteamatBleephasworked
1Victor,2004;Wolkove,Baltzan,Kamel,Dabrusin,&Palayew,2008
2Wolkoveetal.,2008
3Redlineetal.,1998
4Victor,2004
5CanadianJournalVolume15(7);2008OctPMC2679572
tirelesslytocreateaninnovativeCPAP“maskless”solutionthat
candelivereffectiveCPAPtherapywithoutthediscomfortand
usageissues.
…soBleepcreatedtheDreamPortSleepSolutionthatensures
arestfulandcomfortablenight’ssleep.
TheBleepCPAPteamdidextensivecustomerresearchto
determinehowtodesignaCPAPmaskthatbettersatisfied
patients’needs.TheresearchwithexistingCPAPmaskwearers
validatedtheNIHstudyandtookitfurther–clearlyrevealingthe
topissues,among34specificmaskneeds,whichcauseuser
dissatisfactionwithCPAPmasks.TheBleepteamusedtheresults
tototallyreconceivethecustomerexperience,eliminating
traditionalheadgearandotherpain-inducingapparatussuchas
oralholdersornasalbridgedevices.TheresultingBleep-
DreamPortSleepSolutionisaone-size-fits-allalternative
“maskless”optionwiththefollowingfeatures:
• PerformanceMeetsComfort–TheBleep–DreamPortSleep
Solutionislightweightandformedtofityou.Itusesasoft,
pliable,hypoallergenictapethatkeepstwosmallnasal
portsattachedtoyournosetohelpyoubreatheatnight.
Thereisnoheadgear,andnohardmaterialstouchany
partoftheface.Thisdesigneliminatesfacialsorenessor
thoseuglyheadgearlinesinthemorning.
• UninterruptedSleep–UnlikeotherCPAPmasksonthe
market,theBleep-DreamPortisheldsecurelyinplace
anddoesnotsliponyourfaceorleakwhenyoumove
aroundinbed.That’sbecausethetapeisasstrongasitis
gentleontheface.Noonewantstobeawakenedbythe
dreadedhissofamaskleak.Restassured,youwon’thave
towithBleep.And,inthemorning,theBleep–DreamPorts
canberemovedquicklyandpainlessly–withnovisible
signsonyourface.
• Convenience–Bleep-DreamPorthelpsavoidthetrial-and-
errorperiodassociatedwithidentifyingothermask
optionsthroughfrequenttripstothedoctororsupplier.
DreamPorttrulyisonesizefitsall.AndwithBleep-
DreamPort,thereisnoneedtofigureoutwhentoreplace
yourmaskbecauseeachnightyouusetwonew,
disposablebreathingportsinconjunctionwithyour
DreamPortSleepSolution–cleanandbacteriafree.
• EnvironmentalProtection–Bleepisacompanyconcerned
abouttheenvironment.Thesmallnasalportsare
recyclable.Justpeelbackthetapeandthrowthetubesin
therecyclebin.Asweliketosay,ourmasksarebothclean
ANDgreen.
GivenallthewaysthatBleep–DreamPortSleepSolution
transformsthetotalpatientexperience,includingsleepcomfort,
maskfitandeliminatingairleaks,Bleepwillundoubtedlychange
livesaspeoplegettherestfulsleepthey’vebeenmissing.Deeper
andbettersleepmeanshigherenergylevels,improvedmemory
function6,reducedheartdiseaseandstrokerisk7alongwith
manyotherimportanthealthoutcomes.
6NationalCenterforBiotechnology:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2645251/7AmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine:www.sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/cpap/benefits
Isn’tittimethatCPAPlivesuptothepromiseofbettersleep?
Thatitfulfillsallthebenefitsyouexpect.Wethinkso.Andyou
willtowiththehelpofBleep.Thesleepyoudeserve.Thesleep
solutionyouneed.
About the Company
Bleepisacompanythathasbeendeeplyconnectedtothesleepapneacommunity.OurfounderandCEOisStuartHeatherington,anRPSGTandinventorwhohassufferedfromsleepapneaandusedCPAPtherapysince1998.StuartknowsfirsthandboththebenefitsofCPAPandtheproblemsandconcernsthatleadmanyuserstorefuseorabandontherapy.Thoseexperiencesdrovethedevelopmentofanewapproachtoensuringadequateairsupplyanduninterruptedbreathingduringsleepwithouttheconventionalmasks,straps,andotherencumbrancesthatcancompromiseagreatnightofrest.Ourmissionistodelivertheworld’ssmallest,lightestandmostcomfortableCPAPsolution.
Additional Resources and Reading
Edmonds, J. C., Yang, H., King, T. S., Sawyer, D. A., Rizzo, A., & Sawyer, A. M.
(2015). Claustrophobic tendencies and continuous positive airway
pressure therapy non-adherence in adults with obstructive sleep apnea.
Heart Lung, 44(2), 100-106. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2015.01.002
Elkhouli, O., Wolkove, N., & Baltzan, M. (2005). Predictors of continuous positive
airway pressure (CPAP) compliance and satisfaction after split-night
protocol. Chest, 128, 222S.
McArdle, N., Devereux, G., Heidarnejad, H., Engleman, H. M., Mackay, T. W., &
Douglas, N. J. (1999). Long-term use of CPAP therapy for sleep
apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 159(4 Pt 1), 1108-
1114. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.159.4.9807111
Rakotonanahary, D., Pelletier-Fleury, N., Gagnadoux, F., & Fleury, B. (2001).
Predictive factors for the need for additional humidification during nasal
continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Chest, 119(2), 460-465.
Redline, S., Adams, N., Strauss, M. E., Roebuck, T., Winters, M., & Rosenberg, C.
(1998). Improvement of mild sleep-disordered breathing with CPAP
compared with conservative therapy. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 157(3 Pt
1), 858-865. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.157.3.9709042
Sanders, M. H., Gruendl, C. A., & Rogers, R. M. (1986). Patient compliance with
nasal CPAP therapy for sleep apnea. Chest, 90(3), 330-333.
Ulander, M., Johansson, M. S., Ewaldh, A. E., Svanborg, E., & Brostrom, A. (2014).
Side effects to continuous positive airway pressure treatment for
obstructive sleep apnoea: changes over time and association to
adherence. Sleep Breath, 18(4), 799-807. doi: 10.1007/s11325-014-0945-5
Victor, L. D. (2004). Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in primary care. Am
Fam Physician, 69(3), 561-568.
Wolkove, N., Baltzan, M., Kamel, H., Dabrusin, R., & Palayew, M. (2008). Long-
term compliance with continuous positive airway pressure in patients
with obstructive sleep apnea. Can Respir J, 15(7), 365-369.
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