Sleep Specialists LLC’s Zzoma Positional Device was used in a clinical trial examining the cost effectiveness of incorporating positional therapy into the treatment algorithm for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The results were presented at SLEEP 2015.

The new study was conducted out of Temple University in Philadelphia and included patients from the Law Enforcement Health Benefits (LEHB) organization. Following a screening questionnaire used to identify patients at high risk for OSA, 54 of 59 patients (91%) were found to have OSA on their home sleep test. With 24% of the patients having positional OSA, and utilizing the Zzoma Positional Device as their treatment modality resulted in a 21% cost savings as compared to if all patient were treated with CPAP therapy. Conclusion: Incorporating positional therapy into the treatment algorithm for OSA is cost effective.

Positional sleep apnea is prevalent in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and treatment may be as simple as preventing “on-the-back” sleeping. Zzoma is a device worn around the upper torso that keeps patients asleep on their sides by preventing supine or “on-the-back” sleeping. Clinicians may prescribe Zzoma as a first line therapy or as an alternative for patients who cannot tolerate oral appliances or CPAP therapy.

“Zzoma is an affordable and comfortable device compared to CPAP,” says Sila Yesilsoy, COO of Sleep Specialists, in a release. “The new study only solidified what we already knew: incorporating positional devices into sleep apnea treatment algorithms are highly cost effective.”