Faster access to sleep apnea care for Veterans
Official title: Improving Access to Sleep Apnea Care: A Pragmatic Study of New Consultation Models
Funded at Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco · NIH-11199006 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares a direct-referral pathway that sends Veterans straight to home sleep testing with the usual pathway that starts with an in-person visit, aiming to speed diagnosis and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2020 |
| Project end | March 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX002198-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11199006 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans referred to the VA for possible obstructive sleep apnea who are eligible for home sleep apnea testing and potential PAP therapy.
✕Less likely to help
People with complex sleep disorders, unstable cardiopulmonary conditions, or who need in-lab polysomnography are less likely to benefit from the direct-to-home testing pathway.
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran with symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, this project looks at a pathway called DREAM that can send you directly to a home sleep test instead of first seeing a provider in person. The team will compare how long it takes from referral to getting a test and starting treatment in the DREAM pathway versus the usual initial in-person visit. They will also track use of positive airway pressure (PAP) machines and patient-reported outcomes to see if starting with home testing affects adherence or symptoms. Finally, they will measure how well home sleep testing rules out sleep apnea compared with the traditional approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could shorten wait times so Veterans start testing and CPAP treatment sooner while keeping diagnosis accurate.
How similar studies have gone: Home sleep testing and direct-referral pathways have shown promise in prior studies for speeding care and keeping diagnostic accuracy, but this approach is being tested specifically in VA clinical settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sarmiento, Kathleen Fumiko — Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Sarmiento, Kathleen Fumiko
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.