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ObjectivesTo measure the rate of benzodiazepine receptor agonist (BZA) dependence in older veterans with insomnia symptoms chronically using BZAs and to assess for associations between high posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk and BZA dependence.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among veterans aged 55years and older with insomnia symptoms (current or historical) and chronic use of BZAs (≥3months). Measurements included the Primary Care-PTSD screen (score >2 indicates high PTSD risk) and Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to test for associations between PTSD risk and BZA dependence.ResultsA high PTSD risk was observed in 40% of the participants (N=33). One-fifth (21.7%, N =18) of participants met the criteria for benzodiazepine dependence (score ≥23 on Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire). Veterans with high PTSD risk were significantly more likely to have BZA dependence (odds ratio 10.09, 95% CI [2.39, 42.54], p =.002).ConclusionsIn older veterans with insomnia symptoms and chronic use of BZAs, high PTSD risk is associated with elevated risk for BZA dependence, which may make discontinuation of these medications difficult.Clinical implicationsClinicians should consider the strong association between PTSD symptoms and benzodiazepine dependence when developing plans to taper a BZA in veterans with these symptoms.

Nocturia and chronic insomnia disorder are common conditions that frequently coexist in older adults. Existing medication treatments for each condition have risks, particularly in older adults. While treatment guidelines recommend starting with behavioural therapy for each condition, no existing program simultaneously addresses nocturia and insomnia. Existing behavioural interventions for nocturia or insomnia contain concordant and discordant components. An expert panel (including geriatricians with sleep or nocturia research expertise, sleep psychologists and a behavioural psychologist) was convened to combine and reconcile elements of behavioural treatment for each condition. Concordant treatment recommendations involve using situational self-management strategies such as urge suppression or techniques to influence homeostatic drive for sleep. Fluid modification such as avoiding alcohol and evening caffeine and regular self-monitoring through a daily diary is also appropriate for both conditions. The expert panel resolved discordant recommendations by eliminating overnight completion of voiding diaries (which can interfere with sleep) and discouraging routine overnight voiding (a stimulus control strategy). The final product is an integrated cognitive behavioural treatment that is delivered by advanced practice providers weekly over 5 weeks. This integrated program addresses the common scenario of coexisting nocturia and chronic insomnia disorder.

Objective/Background: Sleep problems are common in women and caregiving for an adult is a common role among women. However, the effects of caregiving on sleep and related daytime impairment are poorly understood among women veterans. This study compared stress-related sleep disturbances, insomnia symptoms, and sleep-related daytime impairment between women veterans who were caregivers and those who did not have a caregiving role. Participants: Of 12,225 women veterans who received care in one Veterans Administration Healthcare System, 1,457 completed data on a postal survey (mean age=51.7±15.9years). Two hundred forty three (17%) respondents (mean age 53.8±12.7years) were caregivers for an adult, predominantly for a parent, providing transportation. Methods: The survey included items that addressed insomnia symptoms, total sleep time, sleep-related daytime impairments, caregiving characteristics, self-rated health, pain, stress, body mass index, and demographic information. Results: In adjusted analyses, caregiver status did not directly predict sleep complaints alone. However, in multiple regression analyses, being a caregiver (odds ratio 1.7, p =.001) significantly predicted stress-related sleep disturbance, even after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other characteristics. Furthermore, being a caregiver (β=3.9, p =.031) significantly predicted more symptoms of sleep-related daytime impairment after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other factors. Conclusions: Compared to noncaregivers, women veterans who were caregivers for an adult were more likely to report stress causing poor sleep, and more daytime impairment due to poor sleep. These findings suggest the need to target stress and other factors when addressing sleep disturbance among women veterans who are caregivers.

Author(s): Fung, Constance H; Martin, Jennifer L; Hays, Ron D; Col, Nananda; Patterson, Emily S; Josephson, Karen; Mitchell, Michael N; Grinberg, Austin; Aysola, Ravi; Song, Yeonsu; Dzierzewski, Joseph M; Liang, Li-Jung; Huang, David; Zeidler, Michelle; Alessi, Cathy

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of insomnia disorder among older veterans and to study relationships among age and self-rated health, with insomnia disorder, self-reported sleep duration and sleep efficiency. METHODS: A cross-sectional postal survey of community-dwelling older veterans (older than 60 years) seen at one VA Healthcare System in the prior 18 months was performed, which was constructed to align with the general diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder (International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition [ICSD-2]). The survey also queried self-reported sleep duration, bedtime, and wake time, which were used to calculate sleep efficiency. The survey also asked about race/ethnicity and self-rated health (using the general health item from the Short Form-36). RESULTS: A completed survey was returned by 4,717 individuals (51.9% response rate; mean age 74.1 years). Of those, 2,249 (47.7%) met ICSD-2 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder. In logistic regression analyses, insomnia disorder was more likely among younger age categories (odds ratios [OR] 1.4–2.5) and in those with worse self-rated health (OR 2.1–14.4). Both total nocturnal sleep time and time in bed increased with older age (all P < .001), whereas sleep efficiency did not differ. Worse self-rated health was associated with shorter total nocturnal sleep time, more time in bed, and lower (worse) sleep efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the postal survey suggest that almost half of community-dwelling older veterans have insomnia disorder, which was more common in young-old and among those with worse self-rated health. Additional work is needed to address the high burden of insomnia among older adults, including those with poor health. CITATION: Ryden AM, Martin JL, Matsuwaka S, Fung CH, Dzierzewski JM, Song Y, Mitchell MN, Fiorentino L, Josephson KR, Jouldjian S, Alessi CA. Insomnia disorder among older veterans: results of a postal survey. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(4):543–551.

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) targets changing dysfunctional sleep-related beliefs. The impact of these changes on daytime functioning in older adults is unknown. Purpose We examined whether changes in sleep-related beliefs from pre- to post-CBTI predicted changes in sleep and other outcomes in older adults. Method Data included 144 older veterans with insomnia from a randomized controlled trial testing CBTI. Sleep-related beliefs were assessed with the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-16 (DBAS-16, subscales: Consequences, Worry/Helplessness, Sleep Expectations, Medication). Outcomes included sleep diary variables, actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Flinders Fatigue Scale (FFS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and health-related quality of life. Analyses compared slope of change in DBAS subscales from baseline to posttreatment between CBTI and control, and assessed the relationship between DBAS change and the slope of change in outcomes from baseline to 6 months. Results Compared to controls, the CBTI group demonstrated stronger associations between improvement in DBAS-Consequences and subsequent improvement in PSQI, ISI, ESS, and FFS. The CBTI group also demonstrated stronger associations between improvement in DBAS-Worry/Helplessness and subsequent improvements in PSQI, ISI, and FFS; improvements in DBAS-Medication and PSQI; and improvements in DBAS-Sleep Expectations and wake after sleep onset (sleep diary) and FFS (all p < .05). Conclusions Significant reduction in dysfunctional sleep-related beliefs following CBTI in older adults predicted improvement in several outcomes of sleep and daytime functioning. This suggests the importance of addressing sleep-related beliefs for sustained improvement with CBTI in older veterans. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00781963.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Person-centered obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) care is a collaborative approach that is respectful of an individual’s health priorities. Informed decision-making is essential to person-centered care, especially as patients age. In a feasibility study, we evaluated the effects of a new decision aid (Decide2Rest) on OSA treatment decision-making in older adults. METHODS: Patients (aged ≥ 60 years) with newly diagnosed OSA were recruited from two health care systems and randomized either to Decide2Rest or to a control program. Postintervention outcomes included 1) Decisional Conflict Scale (0–100, where 0 = low and 100 = high conflict), which measures perceptions of uncertainty, whether decisions reflect what matters most to patients, and whether patients feel supported in decision-making; 2) Preparation for Decision-Making scale (0–100, where 0 = least and 100 most prepared); and 3) OSA knowledge (0–100, where 0 = poor and 100 = outstanding). Multivariable linear regression models examined relationships between Decide2Rest and outcomes (Decisional Conflict Scale, Preparation for Decision-Making, OSA knowledge). RESULTS: Seventy-three patients were randomized to Decide2Rest (n = 36; mean age, 69 years; 72% male) vs control (n = 37; mean age, 69 years; 70% male). Results from the regressions, controlling for study site, indicate that the Decide2Rest program resulted in less decisional conflict (20.5 vs 32.7 on the Decisional Conflict Scale; P = .014), more preparedness for decision-making (87.8 vs 66.2 on the Preparation for Decision-Making scale; P < .001), and greater OSA knowledge (75.1 vs 65.3 OSA knowledge score; P = .04) scores than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The Decide2Rest program promotes person-centered OSA decision-making for older patients with newly diagnosed OSA. Future studies are needed to optimize implementation of the program. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, Name: Improving Older Adults’ Decision-Making for OSAT (eDecide2Rest); URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03138993; Identifier: NCT03138993. CITATION: Fung CH, Martin JL, Liang LJ, et al. Efficacy of a patient decision aid for improving person-centered decision-making by older adults with obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(2):121–128.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to estimate rates of undiagnosed, diagnosed, and treated sleep apnea in women veterans and to identify factors associated with diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea in this population. METHODS: A large nationwide postal survey was sent to a random sample of 4,000 women veterans who had received health care at a Veterans Health Administration (VA) facility in the previous 6 months. A total of 1,498 surveys were completed. Survey items used for the current analyses included: demographics; sleep apnea risk, diagnostic status, and treatment; symptoms of other sleep disorders (eg, insomnia); mental health symptoms; and comorbidities. RESULTS: Among responders, 13% of women reported a prior sleep apnea diagnosis. Among women who reported a diagnosis of sleep apnea, 65% reported using positive airway pressure therapy. A sleep apnea diagnosis was associated with older age, higher BMI, non-Hispanic African American/Black racial/ethnic identity, being unemployed, other sleep disorder symptoms (eg, insomnia), depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and multimorbidity. Among women without a sleep apnea diagnosis, 43% scored as “high risk” on the STOP (snoring, tiredness, observed apneas, blood pressure) questionnaire. High risk scores were associated with older age, higher BMI, African American/Black identity, other sleep disorder symptoms (eg, insomnia), mental health symptoms, and multimorbidity. Only BMI differed between women using vs not using positive airway pressure therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Women veterans with diagnosed sleep apnea were commonly treated with positive airway pressure therapy, which is standard first-line treatment; however, many undiagnosed women were at high risk. Efforts to increase screening, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep apnea in women with comorbid mental and physical health conditions are needed. CITATION: Martin JL, Carlson G, Kelly M, et al. Sleep apnea in women veterans: results of a national survey of VA health care users. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(3):555–565.

Study ObjectivesCognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) for comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has had mixed results. We integrated CBTI with a positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence program and tested effects on sleep and PAP use.Methods125 veterans (mean age 63.2, 96% men, 39% non-Hispanic white, 26% black/African American, 18% Hispanic/Latino) with comorbid insomnia and newly-diagnosed OSA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 15) were randomized to 5-weekly sessions integrating CBTI with a PAP adherence program provided by a “sleep coach” (with behavioral sleep medicine supervision), or 5-weekly sleep education control sessions. Participants and assessment staff were blinded to group assignment. Outcomes (baseline, 3 and 6 months) included Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), 7-day sleep diary (sleep onset latency [SOL-D], wake after sleep onset [WASO-D], sleep efficiency [SE-D]), 7-day actigraphy (SE-A), and objective PAP use (hours/night and nights ≥ 4 h). Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire-10 (FOSQ-10) were also collected.ResultsCompared to controls, intervention participants showed greater improvement (baseline to 3 and 6 months, respectively) in PSQI (−3.2 and −1.7), SOL-D (−16.2 and −15.5 minutes), SE-D (10.5% and 8.5%), SE-A (4.4% and 2.6%) and more 90-day PAP use (1.3 and 0.9 more hours/night, 17.4 and 11.3 more nights PAP ≥ 4 h). 90-day PAP use at 3 months was 3.2 and 1.9 h/night in intervention versus controls. Intervention participants also had greater improvements in ISI, ESS, and FOSQ-10 (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsAn intervention integrating CBTI with a PAP adherence program delivered by a supervised sleep coach improved sleep and PAP use in adults with comorbid insomnia and OSA.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.govStudy name: Novel Treatment of Comorbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea in Older VeteransURL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT02027558&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=Registration: NCT02027558

ObjectivesTo examine relationships between cognitive expectancies about sleep and hypnotics and use of medications commonly used for insomnia (hypnotics).MethodsWe analyzed baseline data from older veterans who met diagnostic criteria for insomnia and were enrolled in a trial comparing CBTI delivered by a supervised, sleep educator to an attention control condition (N=159; 97% male, mean age 72years). We classified individuals as hypnotic users (N=23) vs. non-users (N=135) based upon medication diaries. Associations between hypnotic status and Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-16 (DBAS) total score (0-10, higher=worse) and two DBAS medication item scores (Item 1: "…better off taking a sleeping pill rather than having a poor night's sleep;" Item 2: "Medication… probably the only solution to sleeplessness"; 0-10, higher=worse) were examined in logistic regression models.ResultsHigher scores on the DBAS medication items (both odds ratios=1.3; p-values < .001) were significantly associated with hypnotic use. DBAS-16 total score was not associated with hypnotic use.ConclusionCognitive expectancy (dysfunctional beliefs) about hypnotics was associated with hypnotic use in older adults with chronic insomnia disorder.Clinical implicationsStrategies that specifically target dysfunctional beliefs about hypnotics are needed and may impact hypnotic use in older adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) is an efficient and cost-effective method of diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, nondiagnostic HSAT necessitates additional tests that erode these benefits, delaying diagnoses and increasing costs. Our objective was to optimize this diagnostic pathway by using predictive modeling to identify patients who should be referred directly to polysomnography (PSG) due to their high probability of nondiagnostic HSAT. METHODS: HSAT performed as the initial test for suspected OSA within the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System was analyzed retrospectively. Data were extracted from pre-HSAT questionnaires and the medical record. Tests were diagnostic if there was a respiratory event index (REI) ≥ 5 events/h. Tests with REI < 5 events/h or technical inadequacy—two outcomes requiring additional testing with PSG—were considered nondiagnostic. Standard logistic regression models were compared with models trained using machine learning techniques. RESULTS: Models were trained using 80% of available data and validated on the remaining 20%. Performance was evaluated using partial area under the precision-recall curve (pAUPRC). Machine learning techniques consistently yielded higher pAUPRC than standard logistic regression, which had pAUPRC of 0.574. The random forest model outperformed all other models (pAUPRC 0.862). Preferred calibration of this model yielded the following: sensitivity 0.46, specificity 0.95, positive predictive value 0.81, negative predictive value 0.80. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with standard logistic regression models, machine learning models improve prediction of patients requiring in-laboratory PSG. These models could be implemented into a clinical decision support tool to help clinicians select the optimal test to diagnose OSA. CITATION: Stretch R, Ryden A, Fung CH, Martires J, Liu S, Balasubramanian V, Saedi B, Hwang D, Martin J, Della Penna N, Zeidler M. Predicting nondiagnostic home sleep apnea tests using machine learning. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(11):1599–1608.

Purpose Female veterans are at high risk for sleep problems, and there is a need to provide effective treatment for this population who experience insomnia. This study’s primary goal was to compare the acceptability of medication versus nonmedication treatments for insomnia among female veterans. In addition, we examined the role of patient age, severity of sleep disturbance, and psychiatric symptoms on acceptability of each treatment approach and on the differences in acceptability between these approaches. Methods A large nationwide postal survey was sent to a random sample of 4000 female veterans who had received health care at a Veterans Administration (VA) facility in the previous 6 months (May 29, 2012–November 28, 2012). A total of 1559 completed surveys were returned. Survey items used for the current analyses included: demographic characteristics, sleep quality, psychiatric symptoms, military service experience, and acceptability of medication and nonmedication treatments for insomnia. For analysis, only ratings of “very acceptable” were used to indicate an interest in the treatment approach (vs ratings of “not at all acceptable,” “a little acceptable,” “somewhat acceptable,” and “no opinion/don׳t know”). Findings In the final sample of 1538 women with complete data, 57.7% rated nonmedication treatment as very acceptable while only 33.5% rated medication treatment as very acceptable. This difference was statistically significant for the group as a whole and when examining subgroups of patients based on age, sleep quality, psychiatric symptoms, and military experience. The percentage of respondents rating medication treatment as very acceptable was higher for women who were younger, had more severe sleep disturbances, had more psychiatric symptoms, who were not combat exposed, and who had experienced military sexual trauma. By contrast, the percentage of respondents rating nonmedication treatment as very acceptable differed only by age (younger women were more likely to find nonmedication treatment acceptable) and difficulty falling asleep. Implications Female veterans are more likely to find nonmedication insomnia treatment acceptable compared with medication treatment. Thus, it is important to match these patients with effective behavioral interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Efforts to educate providers about these preferences and about the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia may serve to connect female veterans who have insomnia to the treatment they prefer. These findings also suggest that older female veterans may be less likely to find either approach as acceptable as their younger counterparts.

Objectives To test a new cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) program designed for use by nonclinicians. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system. Participants Community-dwelling veterans aged 60 and older who met diagnostic criteria for insomnia of 3 months duration or longer (N = 159). Intervention Nonclinician “sleep coaches” delivered a five-session manual-based CBT-I program including stimulus control, sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, and cognitive therapy (individually or in small groups), with weekly telephone behavioral sleep medicine supervision. Controls received five sessions of general sleep education. Measurements Primary outcomes, including self-reported (7-day sleep diary) sleep onset latency (SOL-D), wake after sleep onset (WASO-D), total wake time (TWT-D), and sleep efficiency (SE-D); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); and objective sleep efficiency (7-day wrist actigraphy, SE-A) were measured at baseline, at the posttreatment assessment, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Additional measures included the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)), and quality of life (Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-form Survey version 2 (SF-12v2)). Results Intervention subjects had greater improvement than controls between the baseline and posttreatment assessments, the baseline and 6-month assessments, and the baseline and 12-month assessments in SOL-D (−23.4, −15.8, and −17.3 minutes, respectively), TWT-D (−68.4, −37.0, and −30.9 minutes, respectively), SE-D (10.5%, 6.7%, and 5.4%, respectively), PSQI (−3.4, −2.4, and −2.1 in total score, respectively), and ISI (−4.5, −3.9, and −2.8 in total score, respectively) (all P < .05). There were no significant differences in SE-A, PHQ-9, or SF-12v2. Conclusion Manual-based CBT-I delivered by nonclinician sleep coaches improves sleep in older adults with chronic insomnia.

Background Nocturnal bladder symptoms and sleep disruption commonly coexist in middle-aged and older women. Although sleep disruption is often attributed to nocturnal bladder symptoms in women with overactive bladder syndrome, nonbladder factors also may influence sleep in this population. Many women with overactive bladder are eager to identify nonpharmacologic strategies for both bladder symptoms and sleep disruption, given the potential adverse effects of sedative and anticholinergic bladder medications in this population. Objectives To provide greater insight into the complex relationship between nighttime overactive bladder symptoms and sleep disruption, and to evaluate the effects of a guided slow-paced respiration intervention on sleep outcomes in women with overactive bladder. Study Design We conducted an ancillary study within a randomized trial of slow-paced respiration in women with overactive bladder symptoms. Ambulatory community-dwelling women who reported ≥3 episodes/day of urgency-associated voiding or incontinence were randomized to use either a portable biofeedback device (RESPeRATE; Intercure, Ltd) to practice guided slow-paced respiration exercises daily for 12 weeks (N=79) or an identical-appearing device programmed to play nonrhythmic music without guiding breathing (N=82). At baseline and after 12 weeks, bladder symptoms were assessed by voiding diary, sleep duration, and disruption were assessed by sleep diary corroborated by wrist actigraphy, and poor sleep quality was determined by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score >5. Results Of the 161 women randomized, 31% reported at least twice-nightly nocturia, 26% nocturnal incontinence, and 70% poor sleep quality at baseline. Of the 123 reporting any nighttime awakenings, 89% averaged 1 or more nighttime awakenings, and 83% attributed at least half of awakenings to using the bathroom. Self-reported wake time after sleep onset increased with increasing frequency of nocturnal bladder symptoms (P=.01 for linear trend). However, even among women without nocturia, average sleep quality was poor (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index global score mean of 7.3; 95% confidence interval, 6.0–8.6). Over 12 weeks, women assigned to slow-paced respiration (N=79) experienced modest improvements in mean nocturnal voiding frequency (0.4 fewer voids/night), sleep quality (1.1 point score decrease), and sleep disruption (1.5% decreased wake time after sleep onset). However, similar improvements were detected in the music control group (N=81), without significant between-group differences. Conclusions Many women with overactive bladder syndrome experience disrupted sleep, but not all nocturnal awakenings are attributable to bladder symptoms, and average sleep quality tends to be poor even in women without nocturia. Findings suggest that clinicians should not assume that poor sleep in women with overactive bladder syndrome is primarily caused by nocturnal bladder symptoms. Guided slow-paced respiration was associated with modest improvements in nocturia frequency and sleep quality in this trial, but the results do not support clinician recommendation to use this technique over other behavioral relaxation techniques for improving sleep.

OBJECTIVES:This study compared subjective (questionnaire) and objective (actigraphy) sleep assessments, and examined agreement between these methods, in vulnerable older adults participating in a Veterans Administration Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program. METHODS:59 ADHC participants (95% male, mean age=78years) completed sleep questionnaires and 72 continuous hours of wrist actigraphy. Linear regression was used to examine agreement between methods and explore discrepancies in subjective/objective measures. RESULTS:Disturbed sleep was common, yet there was no agreement between subjective and objective sleep assessment methods. Compared with objective measures, one-half of participants reported worse sleep efficiency (SE) on questionnaires while one-quarter over-estimated SE. Participants reporting worse pain had a greater discrepancy between subjective and objective SE. CONCLUSIONS:Vulnerable older adults demonstrated unique patterns of reporting sleep quality when comparing subjective and objective methods. Additional research is needed to better understand how vulnerable older adults evaluate sleep problems. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:Objective and subjective sleep measures may represent unique and equally important constructs in this population. Clinicians should consider utilizing both objective and subjective sleep measures to identify individuals who may benefit from behavioral sleep treatments, and future research is needed to develop and validate appropriate sleep assessments for vulnerable older adults.

Background Evidence suggests that medical equipment often fails to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabling conditions. Few studies have focused on the accessibility of home medical devices such as positive airway pressure (PAP), which is a type of home medical equipment prescribed for long-term therapy. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore in detail the types of difficulties experienced by patients with physical/sensory impairments who use PAP devices, as an initial step in designing a questionnaire to survey users about this topic. Methods In this descriptive study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 participants (9 patients with physical/sensory impairment and 10 health care providers). Interviews were coded and analyzed for major topics. Results Participants detailed the numerous ways in which current PAP devices fail to meet the needs of individuals with physical/sensory impairments (e.g., tremor, poor depth perception, paresis), by requiring patients to perform manually difficult tasks, such as inserting PAP parts through small apertures, attaching parts using a twisting motion, and lifting arms overhead to apply PAP headgear. These demands contributed to patients' frustration with and reduced usage of the home medical device. Conclusions Our findings suggest that home medical devices such as PAP may not be currently designed to meet the needs of some users with physical/sensory impairments. Additional studies are needed to measure the prevalence and impact of impairment-related barriers on PAP adherence for this common medical equipment.

ObjectivesThis pilot study explored caregivers' attitudes toward core elements of a behavioral sleep intervention for managing sleep problems of older veteran care recipients and the caregivers, as an initial step for developing a dyadic sleep intervention program.MethodsFive caregivers (all women; age range, 66-75years) participated in a focus group discussion. Data were collected at one Veterans Affairs, adult day health care program.ResultsCaregivers' poor sleep was not necessarily explained by their caregiving responsibility. Caregivers felt that behavioral recommendations regarding sleep compression scheduling, increased indoor physical activity, and outdoor light exposure would be acceptable sleep interventions for themselves and the care recipients. Some challenges to the sleep recommendation were identified and they included limiting naptime of care recipients and change of their current sleep schedule.ConclusionsCaregivers are receptive to some key components of behavioral approaches to improving sleep. Tailored sleep recommendation strategy is needed to address potential challenges.Clinical implicationsIf available within clinical care settings or delivered at the patient's home, caregivers of older veterans are likely to engage in behavioral sleep intervention programs.

Study Objective To test the effectiveness of a 4-week behavioral Sleep Intervention Program (SIP: sleep compression, modified stimulus control, and sleep hygiene) compared to a 4-week information-only control (IC) among older adults attending a VA Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program in a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial. Methods Forty-two individuals (mean age: 77 years, 93% male) enrolled in a VA ADHC program were randomized to receive SIP or IC. All completed in-person sleep and health assessments at baseline, post-treatment and 4-months follow-up that included 3 days/nights of wrist actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Mixed repeated measures analysis was used to compare sleep outcomes at post-treatment and 4-months follow-up, with baseline values as covariates. Results SIP participants (n = 21) showed significant improvement on actigraphy sleep efficiency (p = .007), number of nighttime awakenings (p = .016), and minutes awake at night (p = .001) at post-treatment, compared to IC participants (n = 21). Benefits were slightly attenuated but remained significant at 4-month follow-up (all p's < .05). There were no differences in total sleep time between groups. There was significant improvement on PSQI factor 3 (daily disturbances) at 4-month follow-up (p = .016), but no differences were observed between SIP and IC on other PSQI components or ISI scores at post-treatment or 4-month follow-up. Conclusions A short behavioral sleep intervention may have important benefits in improving objectively measured sleep in older adults participating in ADHC. Future studies are needed to study implementation of this intervention into routine clinical care within ADHC.

pii: zsw007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsx007 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Patient-Reported Usability of Positive Airway Pressure Equipment Is Associated With Adherence in Older Adults Constance H. Fung, MD, MS 1,2 ; Jennifer L. Martin, PhD 1,2 ; Ron D. Hays, PhD 2 ; Emily S. Patterson, PhD 3 ; Ravi Aysola, MD 2 ; Nananda Col, MD, MPP, MPH 4 ; Michael N. Mitchell, PhD 1 ; Cindy Truong, BS 1 ; Joseph M. Dzierzewski, PhD 1,5 ; Stella Jouldjian, MSW, MPH 1 ; Yeonsu Song, PhD, RN 1,2 ; Juan Carlos Rodriguez, MD, MPH 2,6 ; Karen Josephson, MPH 1 ; Cathy Alessi, MD 1,2 Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California; 2 Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California; 3 School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; 4 University of New England, Biddeford, Maine; Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; 6 Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile Study objectives: To examine the usability of positive airway pressure (PAP) devices and its association with PAP adherence among older adults with sleep-disordered breathing. Methods: We mailed questionnaires to patients aged ≥65 years prescribed PAP therapy during the prior 36 months from two large healthcare systems. Survey participants completed the Usability of Sleep Apnea Equipment-Positive Airway Pressure (USE-PAP) questionnaire, which assessed the usability of their PAP device. Other questionnaire items included demographics and self-rated health. We also abstracted adherence data (mean nightly hours of PAP use available from one site) and interface type from the electronic health record. Results: Five hundred sixty-four patients completed the survey (response rate = 33%). The mean USE-PAP score (0 = best to 100 = worst) was 20 (SD ± 20). Mean duration of PAP use (available in 189 respondents) was 5.2 hours per night (SD ± 2.0). In a nested regression model predicting nightly hours of PAP use, a 10-point (0.5 SD) increase in USE-PAP score corresponded to a 0.37 hour/night reduction in PAP use. The model including the USE-PAP score explained a signifi- cant proportion (R 2 = 15%) of the variation in nightly hours of PAP use above and beyond demographics, self-reported health, and interface type (∆R 2 = 12%). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that PAP usability varies among older patients and is associated with PAP adherence, above and beyond other predic- tors of adherence. These results support measuring and improving PAP usability to further improve PAP adherence for older patients. Keywords: sleep apnea, adherence, usability, predictive modeling. Statement of Significance We conducted a survey to collect data on patient-reported usability of positive airway pressure (PAP) equipment among older patients, who may be more susceptible to user-device interaction design issues. We found variations in usability issues and showed that usability is significantly associated with PAP adherence. Patient-reported usability is not generally assessed in clinical practice. Because device usability may be a modifiable risk-factor for interventions aimed at improving PAP adherence, we recommend assessing patients’ beliefs about and experiences with PAP usability. INTRODUCTION Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the most commonly prescribed treatment for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). 1 Although PAP is an efficacious therapy for reducing the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), many patients are non-adherent to PAP therapy, with estimates of non-adherence ranging from 28% to 60%. 2,3 Research on PAP non-adherence has focused on psychosocial factors (e.g., outcome expectancies, self-effi- cacy beliefs, socioeconomic characteristics), disease charac- teristics (e.g., AHI, sleepiness), technical aspects of devices such as interface type (i.e., nasal pillows versus nasal mask ver- sus full face mask), device modality/titration procedure (e.g., auto-titrating, continuous versus bi-level), and side effects (e.g., claustrophobia, irritation). 3 One category of barriers that has received little attention is the usability of PAP devices. 4–6 Device usability refers to design factors that impact inter- actions between individuals and devices. 7 The International Organization for Standardization defines usability as “the effec- tiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specified users achieve specified goals in particular environments.” 8 Usability may impact the accuracy and completeness with which patients achieve PAP therapy goals such as putting on a PAP mask, the resources expended to achieve these goals, the ease of learning how to use the PAP device, the ease of remembering how to use the device, and the degree to which the user finds the device acceptable and pleasant. 9 Beneficial outcomes of optimizing usability characteristics of medical devices include minimizing SLEEP, Vol. 40, No. 3, 2017 risk of error and ensuring device safety (i.e., promoting use of the device in a manner that does not result in harm to the patient or environment). 9 Usability test results are submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the pre-market device approval process. 9 In addition to impacting device safety, usability has the poten- tial to impact PAP adherence, which in turn may contribute to the overall impact that PAP has on health outcomes. 10,11 Making PAP easier to set up, use, and clean may positively affect adher- ence to therapy. Large-scale surveys of the usability of PAP devices are lacking, even though interviews with patients about their experiences with these devices suggest variability in PAP usability across patients. 5 Older adults may be more likely to experience usability problems due to the higher prevalence of physical and sensory impairments that occur with advanced age. In this study, we sought to measure PAP usability and to eval- uate the associations between PAP usability and PAP adherence among older adult patients prescribed PAP therapy for SDB. We hypothesized there would be a considerable range of PAP usability scores and that usability scores would be associated with adherence to PAP. METHODS Conceptual Model The FDA’s model for medical device usability, 9 which is based upon the International Organization for Standardization Patient-Reported PAP Usability and Adherence—Fung et al.

Patient-provider communication impacts adherence to therapy. We explored older adults' communication with their providers, preferences for communication, and views on communication attributes and decision aid characteristics, by conducting four focus groups. Several participants reported they had received insufficient information about their sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment options. Most participants felt that it would be helpful to have treatment information tailored to their needs, including information on the negative impact of treatment on comfort and convenience and disclosure about common barriers to adherence. Participants provided desired characteristics for a decision aid, including their preferred delivery method, content, and format. These findings have implications for how to design useful decision aids for older adults with newly diagnosed sleep apnea.

Purpose Obstructive sleep apnea is a prevalent sleep disorder among older adults. Oral appliances are increasingly prescribed as therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Adherence to oral appliance therapy is highly variable. Based on value-expectancy theory and other social–psychological theories, adherence to oral appliance therapy may be influenced by patients’ perceived effectiveness of the therapy, self-efficacy, and availability of social support. We examined these perceptions among older adults with obstructive sleep apnea who were prescribed oral appliance therapy. Methods We mailed surveys to all patients aged ≥65 years who had been prescribed oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea over the prior 36 months at a Veterans Affairs medical center. We examined frequencies of responses to items that assessed perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, and social support for nightly use of oral appliances from friends, family, or health care staff. Findings Thirty-nine individuals responded (response rate, 30%; mean [SD] age 71.4 [SD 6.3] years; 97% male). Thirty-six percent of the respondents perceived regular use of oral appliance therapy to be effective in managing obstructive sleep apnea; 39% agreed that they felt confident about using oral appliances regularly; 41% felt supported by people in their life in using oral appliance therapy; and 38% agreed that health care staff would help them to use their oral appliance regularly. These rates represented less than half of respondents despite the finding that 65% of patients believed that they would use their oral appliance regularly. Implications Although oral appliance therapy is increasingly prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea, only about one third of older adults prescribed it perceived it to be an effective treatment, were confident about oral appliance use, and/or believed that they would receive needed support. Future research is needed to better understand older adults’ perceptions so that interventions can be designed to improve the effectiveness of oral appliances, their self-efficacy for using oral appliances, and their social support for this therapy, which may, in turn, improve oral appliance therapy adherence.

OBJECTIVES The aims of the study were to determine whether mild, occult sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) moderates the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) in older adults and to explore whether CBTI reduces the number of patients eligible for positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. METHODS Data were analyzed for 134 adults 60 years or older with insomnia and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of less than 15 who were randomized to a larger study of CBTI versus a sleep education control. Sleep outcomes (sleep onset latency, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were compared between CBTI and control at 6 months using repeated-measures analysis of variance adjusted for baseline values. AHI of 5 or greater versus less than 5 was included as an interaction term to evaluate changes in sleep outcomes. The number of participants at baseline and 6 months with mild SDB for whom insomnia was their only other indication for PAP was also compared between CBTI and control. RESULTS AHI status (AHI ≥ 5 [75.5% of participants] versus AHI < 5) did not moderate improvements in sleep associated with CBTI (all p values ≥ .12). Nine (45.0%) of 20 participants with mild SDB for whom insomnia was their only other indication for PAP therapy at baseline no longer had another indication for PAP at 6 months, with no significant difference between CBTI and control. CONCLUSIONS CBTI improves sleep in older veterans with insomnia and untreated mild SDB. Larger trials are needed to assess whether CBTI reduces the number of patients with mild SDB eligible for PAP.

Objectives To evaluate whether objectively and subjectively measured sleep disturbances persist among older adults in assisted living facilities (ALFs) and to identify predictors of sleep disturbance in this setting. Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting and Participants A total of 121 residents, age ≥ 65 years, in 18 ALFs in the Los Angeles area. Measurements Objective (actigraphy) and subjective (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) sleep measures were collected at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-up. Predictors of baseline sleep disturbance tested in bivariate analyses and multiple regression models included demographics, Mini-Mental State Examination score, number of comorbidities, nighttime sedating medication use, functional status (activities of daily living; instrumental activities of daily living), restless legs syndrome, and sleep apnea risk. Results Objective and subjective sleep measures were similar at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-up (objective nighttime total sleep [hours] 6.3, 6.5, and 6.4; objective nighttime percent sleep 77.2, 77.7, and 78.3; and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score 8.0, 7.8, and 7.7, respectively). The mean baseline nighttime percent sleep decreased by 2% for each additional unit increase in baseline comorbid conditions (measured as the number of conditions), and increased by 4.5% for each additional unit increase in baseline activities of daily living (measured as the number of activities of daily living), in a multiple regression model. Conclusions In this study, we found that objectively and subjectively measured sleep disturbances are persistent among ALF residents and are related to a greater number of comorbidities and poorer functional status at baseline. Interventions are needed to improve sleep in this setting.

Subjective and objective estimates of sleep are often discordant among individuals with insomnia who typically under-report sleep time and over-report wake time at night. This study examined the impact and durability of cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia on improving the accuracy of sleep and wake perceptions in older adults, and tested whether changes in sleep quality were related to changes in the accuracy of sleep/wake perceptions. One-hundred and fifty-nine older veterans (97% male, mean age 72.2 years) who met diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder were randomized to: (1) cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (n = 106); or (2) attention control (n = 53). Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment, 6-months and 12-months follow-up. Sleep measures included objective (via wrist actigraphy) and subjective (via self-report diary) total sleep time and total wake time, along with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score. Discrepancy was computed as the difference between objective and subjective estimates of wake and sleep. Minutes of discrepancy were compared between groups across time, as were the relationships between Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores and subsequent changes in discrepancy. Compared with controls, participants randomized to cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia became more accurate (i.e. minutes discrepancy was reduced) in their perceptions of sleep/wake at post-treatment, 6-months and 12-months follow-up (p < .05). Improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores at each study assessment preceded and predicted reduced discrepancy at the next study assessment (p < .05). Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia reduces sleep/wake discrepancy among older adults with insomnia. The reductions may be driven by improvements in sleep quality. Improving sleep quality appears to be a viable path to improving sleep perception and may contribute to the underlying effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia.

BACKGROUND There is emerging concern that the methods used to measure the quality of care unfairly penalize providers caring for patients with multiple chronic conditions. We therefore sought to study the relationship between the quality of care and the number of medical conditions a patient has. METHODS We assessed measurements of the quality of medical care received in three cohorts of community-dwelling adult patients in the Community Quality Index study, the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders study, and the Veterans Health Administration project (7680 patients in total). We analyzed the relationship between the quality of care that patients received, defined as the percentage of quality indicators satisfied among those for which patients were eligible, and the number of chronic medical conditions each patient had. We further explored the roles of characteristics of patients, use of health care (number of office visits and hospitalizations), and care provided by specialists as explanations for the observed relationship. RESULTS The quality of care increased as the number of medical conditions increased. Each additional condition was associated with an increase in the quality score of 2.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 2.7) in the Community Quality Index cohort, of 1.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 2.4) in the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders cohort, and of 1.7% (95% CI, 0.7 to 2.8) in the Veterans Health Administration cohort. The relationship between the quality of care and the number of conditions was little affected by adjustment for the difficulty of delivering the care recommended in a quality indicator and for the fact that, because of multiple conditions requiring the same care, a patient could be eligible to receive the same care process more than once. Adjustment for characteristics of patients, use of health care, and care provided by specialists diminished the relationship, but it remained positive. CONCLUSIONS The quality of care, measured according to whether patients were offered recommended services, increases as a patient's number of chronic conditions increases.

Older patients with multiple chronic conditions may be at higher risk of receiving poorer overall quality of care compared with those with single or no chronic conditions. Possible reasons include competing guidelines for individual conditions, burden of numerous recommendations, and difficulty implementing treatments for multiple conditions.We sought to determine whether coexisting combinations of 8 common chronic conditions (hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, depression, osteoporosis, and having atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure) are associated with overall quality of care among vulnerable older patients.Using an observational cohort study, we enrolled 372 community-dwelling persons 65 years of age or older who were at increased risk for death or functional decline within 2 years. We included (1) a comprehensive measure (% of quality indicators satisfied) of quality of medical and geriatric care that accounted for patient preference and appropriateness in light of limited life expectancy and advanced dementia, and (2) a measure of multimorbidity, either as a simple count of conditions or as a combination of specific conditions.: Multimorbidity was associated with greater overall quality scores: mean proportion of quality indicators satisfied increased from 47% for elders with none of the prespecified conditions to 59% for those with 5 or 6 conditions (P0.0001), after controlling for number of office visits. Patients with greater multimorbidity also received care that was better than would be expected based on the specific set of quality indicators they triggered.Among older persons at increased risk of death or functional decline, multimorbidity results in better, rather than worse, quality of care.

Objectives To investigate the association between pain and functional independence in older adults during and after admission to rehabilitation after an acute illness or injury. Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting One community and one Veterans Affairs rehabilitation center. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older admitted for rehabilitation after an acute illness or injury (postacute rehabilitation) (N = 245; mean age 80.6, 72% male)). Measurements Pain was assessed using the Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM, score 0–100). Functional independence was measured using the motor component of the Functional Independence Measure (mFIM, score 13–91). Both scores were obtained at admission; discharge; and 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up. In bivariate analyses, discharge GPM and persistent pain (lasting >3 months) were evaluated as predictors of mFIM score at 9 months. Applying a multilevel modeling (MLM) approach, individual deviations in GPM scores were used to predict variations in mFIM. Results At admission, 210 participants (87.9%) reported pain (16.3% mild (GPM 70)); 21.3% reported persistent pain after discharge. The bivariate analyses did not find statistically significant associations between discharge GPM or persistent pain and mFIM score at 9 months, but in the MLM analysis, deviations in GPM were significant predictors of deviations in mFIM score, suggesting that, when individuals experienced above-average levels of pain (GPM > their personal mean GPM), they also experienced worse functional independence (mFIM

Objectives To examine whether sleep disturbance is associated with poor physical function in older veterans in an adult day healthcare (ADHC) program. Design Cross-sectional. Setting One ADHC program in a Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Care Center. Participants Older veterans (N = 50) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a sleep intervention program who had complete baseline data. Measurements Information on participant characteristics (e.g., age, depression, relationship to caregiver, pain, comorbidity) was collected using appropriate questionnaires. Physical function was measured using activity of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) total scores from the Older Americans Resources and Services Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Sleep was assessed subjectively (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index) and objectively (wrist actigraphy). Results Participants required substantial assistance with ADLs and IADLs. A regression model showed that participant characteristics (marital status, use of sleep medication, comorbidity, posttraumatic stress disorder) and living arrangement (living with a spouse or others) were significantly associated with poor physical function. Poorer objective sleep (total sleep time, total numbers of awakenings, total wake time) was significantly associated with poor physical function, accounting for a significant proportion of the variance other than participant characteristics. Conclusion Objective measures of nighttime sleep disturbance were associated with poor physical function in older veterans in an ADHC program. Further research is needed to determine whether interventions to improve sleep will delay functional decline in this vulnerable population.

We investigated geographic variation in the treatment of early stage prostate cancer in a national sample of veterans after widespread adoption of the prostate specific antigen test.Our sample consisted of 16,352 cases from the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry that were diagnosed between January 1997 and December 1999 with stage I or II prostate cancer. We used a 2-stage nested logit model to compare surgery, radiation therapy and noncurative treatment among 4 geographic regions of the United States.Multivariate analysis showed that patients in the West (referent group) had a higher OR of undergoing surgery than radiation compared with the Northeast, South or Midwest (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.87, OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.98 and OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.87, respectively. Black men, men with lower grade and higher stage tumors, and unmarried men were less likely to undergo curative treatment and less likely to undergo surgery than radiation.Geographic variation persists in patterns of care in men with early stage prostate cancer. However, this variation is limited to the choice between surgery and radiation rather than to the choice between curative and noncurative treatment.

A growing number of positive airway pressure (PAP) device users will develop physical/sensory impairments such as arthritis. For these individuals, the usability of their PAP devices (e.g., efficiency and satisfaction) may impact the frequency and safety of device usage. Questionnaires to assess PAP usability are unavailable; therefore, we developed the Usability of Sleep Apnea Equipment-Positive Airway Pressure (USE-PAP) questionnaire.Questionnaire development included in-depth interviews to identify relevant content areas, a technical advisory panel to review/edit items, cognitive interviews to refine items, and a cross-sectional survey of Veterans Affairs sleep clinic patients assessing PAP device usability overall (one multi-item scale), usability of PAP components (multi-item scales for machine controls, mask/headgear, tubing, and humidifier), frequency of usability-related issues (one multi-item scale), PAP device characteristics, and demographics.After conducting 19 in-depth interviews, a panel meeting, and 10 cognitive interviews, we administered the survey to 100 PAP device users (67% ≥60 years; 90% male). The items assessing machine control usability received the least favorable ratings. Twenty percent of respondents reported difficulty getting equipment ready for use, and 33 percent had difficulty cleaning equipment. The six multi-item scales had excellent internal consistency reliability (alpha ≥0.84) and item-rest correlations (≥0.39).This study provides initial support for the USE-PAP for measuring PAP device usability. Studies that include large samples are needed to further evaluate the psychometric properties of the USE-PAP. In addition, comparisons of USE-PAP responses with direct observations of PAP-related tasks and objectively measured PAP adherence are needed to fully evaluate the questionnaire.

The impact of hospitalization on sleep in late-life is underexplored. The current study examined patterns of sleep quality before, during, and following hospitalization, investigated predictors of sleep quality patterns, and examined predictors of classification discordance between two suggested clinical cutoffs used to demarcate poor/good sleep.This study included older adults (n = 163; mean age 79.7 ± 6.9 years, 31% female) undergoing inpatient post-acute rehabilitation. Upon admission to inpatient post-acute rehabilitation, patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) retrospectively regarding their sleep prior to hospitalization. They subsequently completed the PSQI at discharge, and 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year post discharge. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics (pain, depression, cognition, comorbidity) were collected upon admission.Using latent class analysis methods, older adults could be classified into (1) Consistently Good Sleepers and (2) Chronically Poor Sleepers based on patterns of self-reported sleep quality pre-illness, during, and up to 1 year following inpatient rehabilitation. This pattern was maintained regardless of the clinical cutoff employed (5 or8). Logistic regression analyses indicated that higher pain and depressive symptoms were consistently associated with an increased likelihood of being classified as a chronic poor sleeper. While there was substantial classification discordance based on clinical cutoff employed, no significant predictors of this discordance emerged.Clinicians should exercise caution in assessing sleep quality in inpatient settings. Alterations in the cutoffs employed may result in discordant clinical classifications of older adults. Pain and depression warrant detailed considerations when working with older adults on inpatient units when poor sleep is a concern.

To determine the prevalence of occult sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and describe the relationship between classic SDB symptoms (e.g., loud snoring) and occult SDB in older veterans with insomnia.We analyzed baseline survey and in-home sleep study data for 435 veterans (mean age = 72.0 years [SD 8.0]) who had no known history of SDB, met International Classification of Sleep Disorders 2(nd) Edition criteria for insomnia, and were enrolled in a behavioral intervention trial for insomnia. Variables of interest included apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 15, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, body mass index (BMI), insomnia subtype (i.e., onset, maintenance, or terminal), self-reported excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, and witnessed breathing pause items from the Berlin Questionnaire. We computed the frequency of AHI ≥ 15 and assessed whether each classic SDB symptom was associated with an AHI ≥ 15 in 4 separate multivariate logistic regression models.Prevalence of AHI ≥ 15 was 46.7%. Excessive daytime sleepiness (adjusted odds ratio 1.63, 95% CI 1.02, 2.60, p = 0.04), but not snoring loudness, snoring frequency, or witnessed breathing pauses was associated with occult SDB (AHI ≥ 15). Insomnia subtypes were not significantly associated with occult SDB (p0.38).In our sample of older veterans with insomnia, nearly half had occult SDB, which was characterized by reported excessive daytime sleepiness, but not loud or frequent snoring or witnessed breathing pauses. Insomnia subtype was unrelated to the presence of occult SDB.

Summary Sleep quality is related to emotional, physical, psychological and cognitive functioning and functional independence in later life. After acute health events, older adults are likely to utilize postacute rehabilitation services to improve functioning and facilitate return to independent living. Patterns of how sleep changes with postacute rehabilitation, and predictors of such patterns, are unknown. The current investigation employed latent class analysis (LCA) methods to classify older adults (n = 233) into groups based on patterns of self-reported sleep quality pre-illness, during postacute rehabilitation and up to 1 year following postacute rehabilitation. Using LCA, older adults were grouped into (1) consistently good sleepers (46%), (2) good sleepers who transitioned into poor sleepers (34%), (3) consistently poor sleepers (14%) and (4) poor sleepers who transitioned into good sleepers (6%). In three planned analyses, pain was an independent predictor of membership in classes 1 or 2 (good pre-illness sleep quality) versus classes 3 or 4 (poor pre-illness sleep quality), and of membership in class 1 (consistently good sleep) versus class 2 (good sleep that transitioned to poor sleep). A lower Mini-Mental State Examination score was a predictor of membership in class 1 versus class 2. There were no statistically significant predictors of membership in class 3 versus class 4. Demographics, comorbidities and depressive symptoms were not significant predictors of class membership. These findings have implications for identification of older adults at risk for developing poor sleep associated with changes in health and postacute rehabilitation. The findings also suggest that pain symptoms should be targeted to improve sleep during postacute rehabilitation.

Nocturia is associated with poor sleep quality; however, little is known about the relationship between nocturia and sleep quality across different workforce-relevant age groups of adults. This has implications for developing new treatment strategies that are well tolerated across populations.We conducted a cross-sectional study involving merged data from the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants responded to validated questions on nocturia frequency and sleep from the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire General Productivity subscale (FOSQ-gp, range 1-4). Analyses included multivariable linear regression with stratification by gender to examine associations between nocturia frequency (higher worse) and the FOSQ-gp scores (lower scores indicating worse daytime function related to sleep disturbance).Of 10,512 adults aged ≥20 years who completed the survey, 9148 (87%) had complete nocturia and FOSQ-gp data. The population age-adjusted prevalence of nocturia at least twice nightly was 21.1% among men and 26.6% among women (P0.001), and nocturia increased with age (P0.001). Compared with those with no or 1 episode of nocturia, those with nocturia at least twice nightly reported lower mean FOSQ-gp scores (3.65; 95% CI, 3.61-3.69 vs 3.19; 95% CI, 3.09-3.31 for men and 3.52; 95% CI, 3.48-3.56 vs 3.09; 95% CI, 3.02-3.16 for women). Older adults (aged65 years) with greater nocturia frequency reported worse FOSQ-gp scores compared with younger adults with similar nocturia frequency (P0.001 among men and women).In a population-based sample of community-dwelling men and women, the association between nocturia and worsened functional outcomes of sleep was greater among adults older than 65 years-a group more vulnerable to drug side effects, and in whom nocturia is typically multifactorial. Additionally, these analyses found that the association between nocturia and functional outcomes of sleep is stronger with increasing age among men. Effective treatment strategies that are well tolerated by older adults, such as multicomponent treatments that simultaneously address the combined effects of lower urinary tract and sleep dysfunction, are needed.

With the impending surge in the number of older adults, primary care clinicians will increasingly need to manage the care of vulnerable elders. Caring for vulnerable elders is complex because of their wide range of health goals and the interdependence of medical care and community supports needed to achieve those goals. In this article, we identify ways a primary care practice can reorganize to improve the care of vulnerable elders. We begin by identifying important outcomes for vulnerable elders and three key processes of care (communication, developing a personal care plan for each patient, and care coordination) needed to achieve these outcomes. We then describe two delivery models of primary care for vulnerable elders – co-management, and augmented primary care. Finally, we discuss how the physical plant, people, workflow management, and community linkages in a primary care practice can be restructured to better serve these patients.

INTRODUCTION: As the U.S. population ages, primary care clinicians (PCCs) will encounter more patients with geriatric syndromes, such as urinary incontinence (UI) and falls. Yet, current evidence suggests that care of these conditions does not meet expected standards and that PCCs would benefit from tools to improve care of these conditions. Little is known about the role of computerized condition-specific templates for improving care of geriatric syndromes. AIM: We sought to develop and assess the usefulness of condition-specific computerized templates in a primary care setting. SETTING: A large academic Veterans Affairs medical center. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: We developed and tested the usefulness of 2 condition-specific computerized templates (UI and falls) that could be added on to an existing electronic health record system. PROGRAM EVALUATION: Semistructured interviews were used to identify barriers to use of computerized templates. Usefulness and usability were assessed through a randomized-controlled trial involving standardized patients. DISCUSSION: Use of condition-specific templates resulted in improved history and physical exam assessment for both UI and falls (P