RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Virtual consultations for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis JF European Respiratory Review JO EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW FD European Respiratory Society SP 220180 DO 10.1183/16000617.0180-2022 VO 31 IS 166 A1 Sulaiman S. Alsaif A1 Julia L. Kelly A1 Stuart Little A1 Hilary Pinnock A1 Mary J. Morrell A1 Michael I. Polkey A1 Phyllis Murphie YR 2022 UL http://err.ersjournals.com/content/31/166/220180.abstract AB Background The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual care strategies for the management of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS).Research question What is the effectiveness of virtual consultations compared to in-person consultations for the management of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in adult patients with OSAHS?Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO; CRD42022297532) based on six electronic databases plus manually selected journals was conducted in January 2022. Two researchers independently selected, quality appraised and extracted data. The co-primary outcomes were patient-reported sleepiness, assessed by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and reported cost-effectiveness.Results 12 studies (n=1823 adults) were included in the review. Seven studies (n=1089) were included in the meta-analysis which showed no difference in the magnitude of improvement in patient-reported sleepiness scores between virtual and in-person consultations (mean difference −0.39, 95% CI −1.38–0.60; p=0.4), although ESS scores improved in both groups. Virtual care strategies modestly increased CPAP therapy adherence and were found to be less costly than in-person care strategies in the three Spanish trials that reported cost-effectiveness.Conclusion The findings of this review suggest that virtual care delivered by telephone or video consultations is as effective as in-person consultations for improving subjective sleepiness in patients with OSAHS treated with CPAP. This clinical management strategy may also improve CPAP adherence without increasing the costs, supporting its potential as a follow-up management strategy, where patients prefer this approach.Virtual consultations are as effective as in-person consultations for follow-up management of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea treated with continuous positive airway pressure. Moreover, this healthcare strategy appears to be cost-effective. https://bit.ly/3UuyU3M