August 2011
RioTinto awards a commendation for Sleep Screening Program at Pilbara Iron, Western Australia
June 2011
Screening for Sleep Apnea Could Save Companies Millions in Lost Productivity
Large corporations that screen high-risk employees for obstructive sleep apnea, and offer treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, could save millions in lost productivity over 10 years, according to a research abstract presented Monday at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).
"This cost-benefit analysis proposed OSA screening and treatment for high-level management professionals who had high salaries," said principal investigator Clelia Lima, MSN, ARNP, FNP, NP-C, a family nurse practitioner in the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. "It was a pleasant surprise to find that the results showed substantial financial benefit for employees at practically any salary level."
Untreated, the condition results in job performance deficiencies such as excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, irritability, and reduced vitality, leading a decrease in work performance of up to 30%, according to the authors.
Investigators found that in one large corporation in Florida, 608 employees were middle-aged, obese men who were at high risk for OSA. They made conservative statistical estimates, considering lost work productivity as the variable and using half of its predicted value. For each of the 319 treated employees, productivity was estimated at $150,000 per year. Recovering the 30% of lost productivity lost would yield an annual gain of $14.4 million. Estimating the cost of diagnostic screening with polysomnography and treatment with CPAP therapy to be $7.2 million over 10 years, Lima and Rash determined that the corporation would have a 10-year net savings of $136 million.
May 2010
Treating Sleep Apnea in Truck Drivers Lowers Health Care Costs
For commercial motor vehicle drivers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), effective treatment lowers health care costs and disability rates, reports a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Treating OSA in truck drivers has economic as well as health and safety benefits, according to the new study, led by Dr Benjamin Hoffman, chief medical officer of Waste Management Inc.
The researchers used insurance claims records to evaluate the effects of OSA treatment in commercial motor vehicle drivers. Costs were compared for 156 drivers who received continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or other treatments for OSA and 92 drivers who were diagnosed with OSA but were not treated.
For treated drivers, health plan costs decreased by an average of $2,700 in the first year and another $3,100 in the second year, compared to no change for untreated drivers. The treated drivers also missed fewer work days (average 4.4 days in the first year) and had lower short-term disability costs ($528 over 2 years).
On average, treatment for OSA led to “over $6,000 in total health plan and disability cost savings per treated driver,” the researchers write. Total costs decreased by 41% in drivers treated for OSA (compared to an 8% decrease in untreated drivers).
Sleep apnea is an important preventable cause of motor vehicle accidents, and studies have found that treatment for OSA can lower the accident rate. Screening and treatment for OSA have recently been recommended for commercial motor vehicle drivers.
The new study suggests that, in addition to lowering accident rates, treating OSA in commercial motor vehicle drivers can reduce health costs, work absences, and short-term disability. Hoffman and colleagues conclude, “Addressing OSA in the workplace offers the possibility of early identification and intervention for a chronic disease that is associated with increased health benefit utilization.”
25 September 2008
Mining Australia - 'Dealing with Driver Fatigue'
http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/Article/Dealing-with-driver-fatigue/238702.aspx
7 June 2008
International Diabetes Federation urges healthcare providers to address the relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Apnea
"Recent studies show that Obstructive Sleep Apnea is common in people with diabetes: estimates suggest up to 40% of people with OSA have diabetes. IDF recommends screening for OSA in people with type 2 diabetes. Treatment of OSA in people with Type 2 diabetes may improve glycaemic control, improve quality of life, blood pressure control and risk of cardiovascular disease".
RioTinto awards a commendation for Sleep Disordered Breathing Program implemented at Pilbar Iron Rail Operations, Western Australia
"Current Sleep Apnea Awareness Program is an excellent example of application in a Wellness Program"
Last updated: 6/12/2011
August 2007
