A multi-system model for interventions in continuous positive airway pressure treatment: A fuzzy logic approach

Abstract

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most widely used treatment for patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious chronic respiratory disorder. Although CPAP is a highly effective therapy, it is not, however, curative, and it must be used regularly to ameliorate OSA symptoms. Thus, the success of the therapy depends on the patient's compliance and proper use of the CPAP machine. The compliance and continuing use of CPAP might be improved by well-timed and well-designed interventions. There are three major types of interventions: mechanical (applying different types of CPAP machines, altering the air pressure), educational/psychological (improving patient's understanding of treatment, communicating with the health providers), and lifestyle (modifying diet and sleep habits). Therefore, a unified model for various types of interventions is critical for the success of the treatment. In this paper, we propose a multi-system model based on a fuzzy logic approach to assess the extent of the mechanical, educational/psychological, and lifestyle interventions. The CPAP- therapy intervention model, called CPAP-INT, has been designed as a component of a larger system for the comprehensive support of OSA treatment.