Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41505749›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2026

Toward Patient-Centric Digital Monitoring of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Mixed Methods Study.

James Kenneth Timmis, Kerstin Alexandra Schorr, Rana Yüksel, Tim van den Broek, Sebastiaan Overeem, Dagmar Josine Smid, Willem Johan van den Brink, Nina Leonie Haring

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

James Kenneth Timmis *Department of Political Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7773-0859
Kerstin Alexandra Schorr *Research Group Microbiology and Systems Biology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5633-3002
Rana YükselDepartment of Political Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3779-0011
Tim van den BroekResearch Group Microbiology and Systems Biology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7082-2179
Sebastiaan OvereemSleep Medicine Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6445-9836
Dagmar Josine SmidResearch Group Human Performance, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8675-5302
Willem Johan van den BrinkResearch Group Microbiology and Systems Biology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4493-2382
Nina Leonie HaringResearch Group Microbiology and Systems Biology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3440-5036

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated breathing disruptions during sleep. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) of OSA is important, yet contemporary methods are limited. Sensor-based digital health technologies (sDHTs) promise a step advance in OSA RPM, but must provide meaningful, actionable, and usable outputs for patients. While the centrality of considering patient views in sDHT development is widely acknowledged, patient perspectives and priorities are rarely assessed.

objectiveThis study aimed to identify patient-prioritized health aspects and preferences for digital measures and RPM to enhance OSA care quality and patient experience, guided by the digital measures that matter framework.

methodsWe used a mixed methods design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Individuals with a formal OSA diagnosis and persistent sleep problems (n=223) completed a survey in which they ranked items related to treatment burdens and health priorities, and responded to open-ended questions about restoring previous quality-of-life elements and desired health goals. To gain deeper qualitative insights, we conducted semistructured interviews with patients with OSA, patient advocates, and health care professionals (n=11), focusing on follow-up care, attitudes toward sDHTs and RPM, and preferences for future OSA-related sDHTs and metrics. Quantitative data were analyzed using bootstrap-aggregated Borda counts (broad support) and Plackett-Luce modeling (intense prioritization), while qualitative data from surveys and interviews were analyzed thematically.

resultsKey meaningful aspects of health included the improvement of subjective sleep quality (top-ranked burden; health goal for 46.5%, 93/200 of participants), an increase in daytime energy (quality-of-life aspect to restore for 35.6%, 72/202 and health goal for 25.5%, 51/200 of participants), and physical activity (quality-of-life aspect to restore for 24.7%, 50/202 and health goal for 16.5%, 33/200 of participants). Sleep characteristics and daytime energy were priority targets for digital measure development. Smartwatches, sleep mats, and smart rings were preferred modalities for integration into RPM. Participants' priorities for enhancing monitoring included (1) expanding metrics beyond the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI; 36.6%, 52/142), (2) improving measurement accuracy (20.4%, 29/142), and (3) ensuring outputs are meaningful, understandable (18.3%, 26/142), and actionable (9.2%, 13/142). Patients also reported difficulty interpreting RPM data to determine if and when follow-up care is needed and what type of care is appropriate.

conclusionsRPM solutions for OSA should expand beyond AHI, ensure accuracy and interpretability, and provide actionable insights to support comprehensive patient-centric management.

Indexed as

Sleep Apnea, ObstructiveAdultAgedDigital HealthFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMonitoring, PhysiologicQuality of LifeRemote Patient MonitoringSurveys and Questionnairesdigital biomarkersdigital outcome measuresobstructive sleep apneapatient-centric carepatient-reported outcomesremote patient monitoringwearable sensors

Identifiers

PMID41505749
PMCPMC12828318

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.