Bleep–DreamPorttheCPAPSolutionProvidersCanDepend

onforImprovedPatientOutcomes

AnUphillClimbIntroducingapatienttoCPAPtherapyhasitsrewardsanditschallenges.Itistrulygratifyingwhenapatientwakesfromsleepwithreliefaftertheinitialtitrationhasgiventhemthelong-missedrestfulsleeptheycrave.Youaredeeplyawareofboththebenefitsofcompliancetotherapyandtherisksofnoncompliance.Youdoyourbesttoconveytheseriskstoyourpatientsandurgethemtogivethetherapyachance.Youworkwithpatientstoachievetheusethresholdofatleast4hoursofatleast70percentofnights,knowingitbothasrequisiteforinsurancecoverageandagoodbaselineforseeingareductioninthesymptomsandanimprovedqualityoflife.AndyoualsoknowthatestimatesofOSApatientnoncompliancetoeffectiveCPAPtherapyrangefrom20-oddto80-oddpercent(Chiner,Andreu,Sancho-Chust,Sánchez-de-la-Torre,&Barbé,2013).Youmayhavereadthefive-yearfollowupthatpointsoutthatnonadherenceistypicallyundercounted,becauseitexcludesprescribedpatientswholookattheoptions,areintimidatedandsimplyrefusetobegintherapy(Wolkoveetal.,2008).Youmayhavealsoseen,astheresearchsuggests,thatthemoretimeyoucanspendwithpatientsexplainingCPAP’sbenefitsandensuringitsadoptiongoessmoothly,thelikelieryourpatientsaretosticktoandderivebenefitfromtherapy.Andyouknowbetterthananyoneabouttheintensetimepressuresthatmaykeepyouinlockstepwithyourscheduledcaseload,sothatthispatientor

thatjustdoesn’tgetthatextrafiveortenminutesthatmightgetthemofftoabetterstart.Andinevitablyyouarefamiliarwithpatients’initialreactions:theshudder,theflinch,thesigh,andthe“Ihavetowearthat?Everynight?I’lllooklikeDarthVader!”IntimidatingFirstImpressionInitialimpressionsofCPAPmaskoptionswillinfluencesuccessfuladoptionamongthosewhoarewillingtogiveCPAPtherapyatry.AreviewofadherencepatternscitesmultiplestudiesindicatingthedecisiontoembraceorrejectCPAPismostoftenmadeduringthefirstweekoftherapy,andpredictslong-termadherence(Weaver&Grunstein,2008).Infact,aNationalInstituteofHealth(NIH)study(Wolkoveetal.,2008)outlinedsomecriticalmaskissuesthatcontributedtononcompliance.Thoseissuesare:

• Maskdiscomfort• Claustrophobia• Frequentawakening• Nasaldiscomfort

Especiallyduringinitialtitration,thelessenclosing/constrainingthetherapymodepresented,thelikeliersuchpatientsmaybetocomply.WhatPatientsReallyThinkAboutCPAPMasksBleeprecentlyconductedasurveyofCPAPusersthatwasdesignedtoidentifytheleadingareasofdissatisfactionwithCPAPmasks.ThesurveyrevealedthatlessthanhalfofcurrentusersarehighlysatisfiedwiththeircurrentCPAPmask.Perhapsmoretellingly,only44%wouldrecommendtheircurrentmask,eventofriendssufferingfromsleepapnea.Applyingthenetpromoterscore,acommonmeasureofcustomerloyalty,theresultsyieldedNPSscoresforCPAPmasks(19.1%)aboutonaparwiththatofmediacompanies,andbelowthatforthepublicsectorandthephonecarriers,andfarbelowthatofhealthcareingeneral.SleepapneapatientsaredissatisfiedwithcurrentCPAPmasksolutions.

TheBiggestAnnoyanceTheleadingissueswithCPAPmasksinourresearchwerebrokensealsandfrequentawakeningsduringthenight,withlessthan4outof10usersindicatingtheywereveryorextremelysatisfiedwithmaskperformanceintheseareas.Theyfurtherexpresseddissatisfactionwithairbeingblownintotheireyesorelsewhere,havingtheirsleepingpositionormotionrestrictedinordertoavoidleakage,andneedingtorepositionthemaskand/ortightenstrapsduringthenight,furtherawakeningthemanddisturbingsleep.ThatReallyChapsMyFaceOver40%oftherespondentsweredissatisfiedwithskinirritationsandchappingthattraditionalmaskscause.Inaddition,36%oftheoverallsamplepopulationdidnotlikethelinesthatthemaskleftontheirfaceinthemorningandthisnumberjumpsto53%whenlookingjustatfemalerespondents.Respondentsalsoidentifiedtheforcerequiredtoensureatightsealasaparticularsourceofdiscomfort(36%weredissatisfied).HarmfulBacteriaOverandabovethediscomfortandinconvenienceofparticularmasksandpillows,thereisanadditionalriskthatconcernsCPAPusers–bacteriabuildup.TheyrealizethatwiththemoisturefromtheCPAPhumidificationandtheirbreath,themaskandtubecanbeabreedinggroundforharmfulbacteria. Ofcoursepatientsaretaughtthatthereisacleaningprotocoltoensurehealthsafety.Justhowwelldopatientsadheretoit?Theonesinoursurveyadmit:notthatwell.Alittleoverhalf(55%)claimtocleantheirmasks“asoftenasIshould”,whiletheother45%areeitherambivalent(26%)orfeeltheydonotcleanitenough(19%).Aroughlysimilardistributionappearsonthequestionofmaskreplacement“asoftenasIshould”:46%agree,16%disagree,38%ambivalent.Whenitcomestocleaningtheconnectionhose,responsesfellintonear-quartilesrangingfrom“morethanonceamonth”(27%)through“aboutonceamonth”(27%)and“everyfewmonths”(21%)to“onceortwiceayearorless”(25%).

IntroducingtheBleep–DreamPortSleepSolutionAmoreidealscenariowouldbetopresentaCPAPinterfacetothepatientthatwasnotatraditionalmaskatall.Itssmallersizeandreducedweightwoulddealspecificallywithanyissuesrelatedtoclaustrophobiaandmaskdiscomfort.Inaddition,thedesignofhowthemaskisappliedtothefacewouldbemuchmoresecurethantoday’smask,enablingpatientstosleepthroughthenightmoresoundlywithoutfrequentawakenings.ThatispreciselythedesignoftheBleep-DreamPortSleepSolution.Weliketocallita“masklesssolution”becausethereisnocumbersomeheadgear,nostrapsanditishalftheweightandsizeofnasalpillowmasks.Theinterfaceisheldonthepatient’sfacewithgentle,hypoallergenictapethatsealstheDreamPortssecurelyatthebaseofthenostril.Thatmeansnothingentersthenostrilexceptthestreamofairfromthemachine.Andmostimportantly,thegentleadhesivestripsensureamuchstrongersealthanothermasksonthemarkettoday.TheDreamPortSleepSolution’sswivelconnectoreasilyattachestoanyCPAPmachine.LessisMoreAsrecentlydiscussedinaroundtableofsleepclinicandresearchexperts(SleepReview,2015),thetrendtowardsmallerandmorediscreetinterfacesbetterservesyoungerusers,peoplewhotravelandpeoplewhodesireamoreactivelifestyle.Forallsuchpatients,wewouldhopetohelpjump-startadoptionbyafirstimpressionthatsuggests—andreal-lifeusethatdelivers—compactness,sleekdesign,portability,andeaseofuse.And,ofcourse,forallcurrentuserswhovaliantlymaintaintheirtherapydespitetheirdissatisfactions,wewanttoofferanotheroptiontomakeiteasiertopersevereandreapthebenefitsofCPAPtherapy.

Ourguidingdesignprincipleisthatincreasedcomfortandease—alongwitheliminationofsomeofthedrawbacksofmasksandheadgear—willdrivegreateradherenceandthereforehealthierbenefitstotheCPAPcommunity.Fortheincreasingnumberofoutcomedrivenpatients,thiscanimprovetheirdataandhelpthemachieveindividualhealthgoals,aswellasmeettheevergrowingdemandsbasedoninsurancecomplianceandreimbursement.TheTakeawayBleep-DreamPortiscommittedtoprovidingasolutionforyouandyourpatientsthat:

§ Removesheadgear§ Eliminatesclaustrophobia§ Banishesvanitylinesontheface§ Stopsskinsorenessanddamage§ Reducesleaks§ Weighshalf(orless)asmuchastraditionalmasks§ Fits—withoutfitting—allsizesandshapesofheadsand

faces§ Reducesbothmaintenanceandinfections§ Deliverssignificantaddedvalue

Webelieveourpatentedlightweight,unobtrusive,adhesive-baseddesignwillbecomeanewgoldstandard.Nothingcouldpleaseusmorethanhelpingtousherinanewgoldenageofpatientadherenceandsatisfaction—andmaybehelpingtomakeyourprofessionallifealittleeasierandmorerewarding.Isn’tittimethatCPAPlivesuptothepromiseofbettersleep?Thatitfulfillsallthebenefitsyouexpectforyourpatient.Wethinkso.AndyouwilltowiththehelpofBleep-DreamPort.Thesleepyourpatientdeserves.Thesleepsolutiontheyneed.AbouttheCompany

ReferencesChiner,E.,Andreu,A.L.,Sancho-Chust,J.N.,Sánchez-de-la-Torre,A.,&Barbé,F.(2013).Theuseofambulatorystrategiesforthediagnosisandtreatmentofobstructivesleepapneainadults.ExpertReviewofRespiratoryMedicine,7(3),259–273.http://doi.org/10.1586/ers.13.19SleepReview.(2015,September16).TheFutureofObstructiveSleepApneaTherapy(PodcastwithTranscript).RetrievedAugust9,2016,fromhttp://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2015/09/future-obstructive-sleep-apnea-therapy/Weaver,T.E.,&Grunstein,R.R.(2008).AdherencetoContinuousPositiveAirwayPressureTherapy(ATSJournals).RetrievedAugust9,2016,fromhttp://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1513/pats.200708-119MG#.V6nwVJMrLfBWolkove,N.,Baltzan,M.,Kamel,H.,Dabrusin,R.,&Palayew,M.(2008).Long-termcompliancewithcontinuouspositiveairwaypressureinpatientswithobstructivesleepapnea.CanadianRespiratoryJournal :JournaloftheCanadianThoracicSociety,15(7),365–369.

Bleepisacompanythathasbeendeeplyconnectedtothesleepapneacommunity.OurfounderandCEOisStuartHeatherington,anRPSGTandinventorwhohassufferedfromsleepapneaandusedCPAPtherapysince1998.StuartknowsfirsthandboththebenefitsofCPAPandtheproblemsandconcernsthatleadmanyuserstorefuseorabandontherapy.Thoseexperiencesdrovethedevelopmentofanewapproachtoensuringadequateairsupplyanduninterruptedbreathingduringsleepwithouttheconventionalmasks,straps,andotherencumbrancesthatcancompromiseagreatnightofrest.Ourmissionistodelivertheworld’ssmallest,lightestandmostcomfortableCPAPsolution.

AdditionalResourcesMoreaboutNetPromoterScoreanditsimportancecanbefoundonWikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_PromoterAusefulBlogtoreadaboutNetPromoterScorecanbefoundathttp://blog.clientheartbeat.com/net-promoter-score/AnotherusefullinkaboutthesignificanceofNetPromoterScoreonbusinesscanbereadathttps://www.netpromoter.com

Bleep for a Good Night’s Sleep: How an Innovative CPAP “Maskless” Solution will Transform Therapy

ThemosteffectiveCPAPmasksaretheonesworn

comfortablybysleepapneapatients.However,findingthe

rightCPAPmaskiseasiersaidthandone.Manyofushavebeen

therebefore;it’samuchbiggerissuethanyoumightrealize.Did

youknowthatupto20million(yesmillion)peoplehavesleep

apneaintheUnitedStates?Prettyamazingisn’tit?Andthat

numberisgrowingbyover7%ayearintheUSAand16%

worldwide.Yet,nearly50%ofthemfailoutontherapyandCPAP

maskscontributesignificantlytothat.Thatmeansalotofpatients

areunsatisfied.Accordingtoourresearch,nearly80%ofCPAP

userswouldnotevenrecommendtheirownmask.

Thatwassomethingthatourfounder,StuartHeatherington,a20

yearSleepTechnician(RPSGT)and18yearCPAPuserlearned

first-handfromhisowntherapyandobservingactualpatients

strugglenotonlyinthelabsetting,butathome,too.Thefailure

rateswereaslargeasthelistofcomplaints.That’swhyhecreated

theBleep–DreamPortSleepSolution.

Ifyousufferfromobstructivesleepapneachancesareyouhave

triedcontinuouspositiveairwaypressure(CPAP)machinesand

masks;oratleastyourdoctorhasrecommendedittoyou.

DoctorsrecommendCPAPasatreatmentforsleepapneamore

oftenthanothertreatmentsbecause,ifdoneproperly,itishighly

effective,anditdoesnotinvolvetherisksanddiscomforts

associatedwithsurgeries1.Longconsideredthegoldstandardfor

therapy,CPAPhasthepotentialtoimprovesleep,energy2,and

mood3.However,asyoulikelyknowifyou’vetriedCPAP,there

areanumberofproblemswithexistingmasksthatmakeCPAP

uncomfortableandthereforeineffectiveforsomepatients.If

you’vestruggledwithCPAP,you’renotalone.Uptohalfofthe

patientswhoaresupposedtouseCPAPdonotweartheirmasks

enoughtoachievethedesiredbenefits4.

ThereareanumberofreasonsyoumayfindyourCPAPmask

wearingexperiencelessthansatisfactoryaccordingtoaNational

InstituteofHealth(NIH)study.Thatstudyidentifiedthese

commonproblemswithwearingCPAPmasks5:

• Frequentawakeningsduringthenightduetomaskleaks

• Claustrophobia

• Nasaldiscomfort

• Generalmaskdiscomfort

InanefforttoovercomechallengesassociatedwithyourCPAP

treatment,youmayhavetriedoutmultiplesizesofnasalornasal

pillowmasks,puttinggelpadsbetweenthemaskandyourskinor

justwearingitforpartofthenight.However,regardlessofwhich

specificapproachyou’vetaken,itislikelythatyouhavenothada

particularlypositiveexperienceandarestillsearchingfora

betterCPAPmasktherapy.TheteamatBleephasworked

1Victor,2004;Wolkove,Baltzan,Kamel,Dabrusin,&Palayew,2008

2Wolkoveetal.,2008

3Redlineetal.,1998

4Victor,2004

5CanadianJournalVolume15(7);2008OctPMC2679572

tirelesslytocreateaninnovativeCPAP“maskless”solutionthat

candelivereffectiveCPAPtherapywithoutthediscomfortand

usageissues.

…soBleepcreatedtheDreamPortSleepSolutionthatensures

arestfulandcomfortablenight’ssleep.

TheBleepCPAPteamdidextensivecustomerresearchto

determinehowtodesignaCPAPmaskthatbettersatisfied

patients’needs.TheresearchwithexistingCPAPmaskwearers

validatedtheNIHstudyandtookitfurther–clearlyrevealingthe

topissues,among34specificmaskneeds,whichcauseuser

dissatisfactionwithCPAPmasks.TheBleepteamusedtheresults

tototallyreconceivethecustomerexperience,eliminating

traditionalheadgearandotherpain-inducingapparatussuchas

oralholdersornasalbridgedevices.TheresultingBleep-

DreamPortSleepSolutionisaone-size-fits-allalternative

“maskless”optionwiththefollowingfeatures:

• PerformanceMeetsComfort–TheBleep–DreamPortSleep

Solutionislightweightandformedtofityou.Itusesasoft,

pliable,hypoallergenictapethatkeepstwosmallnasal

portsattachedtoyournosetohelpyoubreatheatnight.

Thereisnoheadgear,andnohardmaterialstouchany

partoftheface.Thisdesigneliminatesfacialsorenessor

thoseuglyheadgearlinesinthemorning.

• UninterruptedSleep–UnlikeotherCPAPmasksonthe

market,theBleep-DreamPortisheldsecurelyinplace

anddoesnotsliponyourfaceorleakwhenyoumove

aroundinbed.That’sbecausethetapeisasstrongasitis

gentleontheface.Noonewantstobeawakenedbythe

dreadedhissofamaskleak.Restassured,youwon’thave

towithBleep.And,inthemorning,theBleep–DreamPorts

canberemovedquicklyandpainlessly–withnovisible

signsonyourface.

• Convenience–Bleep-DreamPorthelpsavoidthetrial-and-

errorperiodassociatedwithidentifyingothermask

optionsthroughfrequenttripstothedoctororsupplier.

DreamPorttrulyisonesizefitsall.AndwithBleep-

DreamPort,thereisnoneedtofigureoutwhentoreplace

yourmaskbecauseeachnightyouusetwonew,

disposablebreathingportsinconjunctionwithyour

DreamPortSleepSolution–cleanandbacteriafree.

• EnvironmentalProtection–Bleepisacompanyconcerned

abouttheenvironment.Thesmallnasalportsare

recyclable.Justpeelbackthetapeandthrowthetubesin

therecyclebin.Asweliketosay,ourmasksarebothclean

ANDgreen.

GivenallthewaysthatBleep–DreamPortSleepSolution

transformsthetotalpatientexperience,includingsleepcomfort,

maskfitandeliminatingairleaks,Bleepwillundoubtedlychange

livesaspeoplegettherestfulsleepthey’vebeenmissing.Deeper

andbettersleepmeanshigherenergylevels,improvedmemory

function6,reducedheartdiseaseandstrokerisk7alongwith

manyotherimportanthealthoutcomes.

6NationalCenterforBiotechnology:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2645251/7AmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine:www.sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/cpap/benefits

Isn’tittimethatCPAPlivesuptothepromiseofbettersleep?

Thatitfulfillsallthebenefitsyouexpect.Wethinkso.Andyou

willtowiththehelpofBleep.Thesleepyoudeserve.Thesleep

solutionyouneed.

About the Company

Bleepisacompanythathasbeendeeplyconnectedtothesleepapneacommunity.OurfounderandCEOisStuartHeatherington,anRPSGTandinventorwhohassufferedfromsleepapneaandusedCPAPtherapysince1998.StuartknowsfirsthandboththebenefitsofCPAPandtheproblemsandconcernsthatleadmanyuserstorefuseorabandontherapy.Thoseexperiencesdrovethedevelopmentofanewapproachtoensuringadequateairsupplyanduninterruptedbreathingduringsleepwithouttheconventionalmasks,straps,andotherencumbrancesthatcancompromiseagreatnightofrest.Ourmissionistodelivertheworld’ssmallest,lightestandmostcomfortableCPAPsolution.

Additional Resources and Reading

Edmonds, J. C., Yang, H., King, T. S., Sawyer, D. A., Rizzo, A., & Sawyer, A. M.

(2015). Claustrophobic tendencies and continuous positive airway

pressure therapy non-adherence in adults with obstructive sleep apnea.

Heart Lung, 44(2), 100-106. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2015.01.002

Elkhouli, O., Wolkove, N., & Baltzan, M. (2005). Predictors of continuous positive

airway pressure (CPAP) compliance and satisfaction after split-night

protocol. Chest, 128, 222S.

McArdle, N., Devereux, G., Heidarnejad, H., Engleman, H. M., Mackay, T. W., &

Douglas, N. J. (1999). Long-term use of CPAP therapy for sleep

apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 159(4 Pt 1), 1108-

1114. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.159.4.9807111

Rakotonanahary, D., Pelletier-Fleury, N., Gagnadoux, F., & Fleury, B. (2001).

Predictive factors for the need for additional humidification during nasal

continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Chest, 119(2), 460-465.

Redline, S., Adams, N., Strauss, M. E., Roebuck, T., Winters, M., & Rosenberg, C.

(1998). Improvement of mild sleep-disordered breathing with CPAP

compared with conservative therapy. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 157(3 Pt

1), 858-865. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.157.3.9709042

Sanders, M. H., Gruendl, C. A., & Rogers, R. M. (1986). Patient compliance with

nasal CPAP therapy for sleep apnea. Chest, 90(3), 330-333.

Ulander, M., Johansson, M. S., Ewaldh, A. E., Svanborg, E., & Brostrom, A. (2014).

Side effects to continuous positive airway pressure treatment for

obstructive sleep apnoea: changes over time and association to

adherence. Sleep Breath, 18(4), 799-807. doi: 10.1007/s11325-014-0945-5

Victor, L. D. (2004). Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in primary care. Am

Fam Physician, 69(3), 561-568.

Wolkove, N., Baltzan, M., Kamel, H., Dabrusin, R., & Palayew, M. (2008). Long-

term compliance with continuous positive airway pressure in patients

with obstructive sleep apnea. Can Respir J, 15(7), 365-369.