InnoSleep

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Sleep apnea is a serious chronic disorder in which patients experience many long-term nocturnal breathing breaks (apneas) resulting in interrupted sleep and the risk of a wide range of serious diseases, reduced quality of life and traffic accidents due to narrowing in the airways. The incidence of sleep apnea is increasing worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 1 million people in the EAC region suffer from sleep apnea. Furthermore, only about one in three have been offered examination and treatment, typically with CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), which works by keeping the airways open during sleep. Of the citizens who are offered treatment with CPAP, about half give up the treatment because it is perceived as an incalculable intervention in everyday life. This is a problem because untreated sleep apnea causes a high risk of complications (such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, fatigue, depression and stroke) and due to fatigue, reduced quality of life associated with problems such as entering into social contexts and taking care of a job. In addition, the risk of road accidents increases. The disease is not only a major problem for patients, but also a challenge for relatives and health care: The state of sleep apnea has traditionally received very little attention from the health care system, requires lifelong follow-up and affects some of the weakest citizens in society. Citizens who at the same time have other health conditions that require treatment and often very few social and economic resources to draw on. There is therefore a great need for healthcare professionals, together with patients and relatives, to contribute to the development and improvement of treatment. In the project Sleep Across Waters (SAW), a group of Danish and Swedish researchers have uncovered the needs and wishes of patients for the healthcare system. The project has tested how a holistic treatment can be organised so that, for example, several specialties simultaneously and with patients lay down an individual treatment plan that ensures simultaneous treatment of several chronic disorders. Saw shows that we do not know enough and utilise existing technological options for treatment that will help patients who for various reasons do not work with CPAP. It is also clear that in the three countries of the EAC programme region there is a significant difference between traditional first-choice readings: In Sweden, treatment of braces is dominated. In Denmark and Norway, treatment of CPAP is dominated. The differences suggest that there may be potential in achieving more differentiated knowledge of when patients should be offered what treatment, and in using this knowledge to raise the level of treatment for all patients with sleep apnea. In addition, it has been discovered that in the programme region there are a number of companies dealing with equipment that can help sleep apnea patients. These companies want to gain more knowledge about the needs of patients with sleep apnea and to participate in more systematic testing of their products. Furthermore, a strong professional community has been formed across the programme region, where experience from the three Scandinavian countries has made clear the need for action. Raising the level of sleep apnea treatment in the region will mean improved quality of life, improved work retention, increased road safety and prevention of a wide range of communicable diseases, especially fatigue, cardiovascular disorders and type 2 diabetes. The project therefore proposes an ØKS innovation collaboration between patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and companies on the development, testing and implementation of new technologies for the treatment of sleep apnea. The project will be built around a collaboration between Danish, Norwegian and Swedish partners in the ØKS programme region from the healthcare system and companies that will boost knowledge about the treatment of sleep apnea, focusing on innovative technologies and individual characteristics (personal medicine). This will also lead to the development and improvement of new products, thus creating growth and jobs in the programme region.

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