U.S. shipments of auto-positive airway pressure devices will jump a considerable 70 percent over 2013 levels by 2017, according to a new report from IHS Technology.
Shipments of Auto-PAP devices in the United States will increased at a compound annual growth rate of 14.2 percent over the next four years, reaching 1,312,811 units by 2017, according to the report, Sleep Diagnostics, Sleep Therapy and Sleep Interfaces – World – 2013. Auto-PAP shipments will surpass those of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines in 2015, the report also noted.
As many sleep providers know, an estimated 40 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. This makes the United States the largest market globally for devices that treat OSA, with estimated revenues of $765.3 million in 2013.
“Healthcare expenditures in the United States for sleep apnea have reached unsustainable levels,” said Nicola Goatman, medical devices and healthcare IT analyst at IHS. “Diagnosis through sleep laboratories and therapy using a CPAP system are no longer the most cost-effective solution to an ever-worsening problem.”
Auto-PAP devices automatically titrate the amount of pressure delivered to the minimum required to ensure an unobstructed airway with each breath. The aim is to give the patient a more precise amount of pressure in hopes of increasing comfort and compliance.
IHS says auto-PAP therapy is also cheaper, which will become increasingly important under competitive bidding.
“Reimbursement for sleep therapy devices is paid to durable medical equipment (DME) providers only if patient compliance can be proved,” Goatman said. “Keeping a patient on the system is paramount for effectively managing the disease and receiving reimbursement.”
Visit http://www.imsresearch.com/report/sleep_diagnostics_sleep_therapy_sleep_interfaces_world_2013 to learn more about the report.