Efficacy: a measure of how well a medical intervention (drug, device, or other treatment) works to treat a given condition in a controlled environment or ideal
setting.
Effectiveness: A measure of how well a medical treatment works in real life; this measure takes into consideration variables such tolerability, ease of use and
duration of use. |
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SleepWell Solutions focuses on developing EFFECTIVE treatment solutions for patients. An effective treatment results in maximum improvement under everyday circumstances.
Although a treatment may be efficacious (provide improvement under ideal conditions), it may not be an effective treatment for everyone.
No matter how well the treatment works, the actually utility of the therapy may be limited if the patient doesn’t wear the device (e.g. TAP or CPAP) because it is unpleasant. It is important
to understand the difference between efficacy and effectiveness. Although they are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings and can easily be misused.
What Makes a Treatment Effective
| Patient acceptance |
Will you wear the device? |
| Amount of use |
How long you will wear the device? |
| Comfort, tolerability |
Is the device comfortable? Can you tolerate it? |
| Ease of use |
How difficult is the device to use? |
| Quality of life |
How does the treatment affect your overall enjoyment of life, including your ability to enjoy normal activities day-to-day? |
| Portability |
How easy is it to transport or carry the device from room to room or when traveling? |
| Effect on the bed partner |
How does the device affect how your bed partner sleeps? |
TAP Effectiveness
Studies and clinical experience have shown that patients prefer oral appliances over CPAPi. Patients tend to wear their TAP all
night, every night of the week. This means that for many people, the TAP is often a very effective treatment that provides maximum relief from snoring and sleep apnea.
CPAP Effectiveness
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, patients generally use a CPAP approximately four and a half (4½) hours per nightii.
This means that a patient is only treated about half the time (based on 8 hours of sleep). Little is known about the residual effects of sleep apnea in patients who do not wear their CPAP full
time. In other words, there may be long-term health problems associated with the half of the night that a patient doesn’t wear his or her CPAP.
Quality of Life Can Influence Effectiveness
Remember that there may be negative or unintended consequencesof a medical treatment on your quality of life. If the treatment affects your quality of life in a negative way, you
may not stick with that therapy. When thinking about which therapy to choose, consider how it may affect your life day to day
iFerguson KA; Cartwright R; Rogers R et al. Oral Appliances for Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review. SLEEP 2006;29(2): 244-262.
iiGay P; Weaver T; Loube D et al. Evaluation of positive airway pressure treatment for sleep related breathing disorders in adults. SLEEP 2006;29(3):381-401.
Read On...
Regular check-ups make a difference in effectively treating sleep disordered breathing. Click here to find out more about annual check-ups at
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