1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Screening During Commercial Driver Medical Examinations: A Survey of ACOEM Members
- Author
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Gerardo Durand and Stefanos N. Kales
- Subjects
Automobile Driving ,Occupational Medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Attitude of Health Personnel ,Poison control ,Transportation ,Suicide prevention ,Occupational safety and health ,Occupational medicine ,Physicians ,Injury prevention ,medicine ,Humans ,Risk factor ,Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ,business.industry ,Data Collection ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Human factors and ergonomics ,Professional Practice ,medicine.disease ,Obstructive sleep apnea ,Family medicine ,Job Application ,Physical therapy ,business - Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To survey American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) members regarding recent consensus guidelines for screening commercial drivers for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). METHODS: A brief survey instrument was distributed electronically by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine to its members during February 2008 to April 2008. RESULTS: Most (92%) of the 552 examiners opined that screening commercial drivers for OSA was important. Nevertheless, only 42% reported screening using consensus guidelines or another specific protocol. Common reasons for not applying the guidelines included unaware (36%), too complicated (12%), client retention (10%), and driver inconvenience (10%). Most would consider using the guidelines going forward but 39% wanted additional evidence and another 21% only if they became the "community standard." CONCLUSIONS: More education regarding OSA and drivers is needed. A Federal mandate and eliminating "doctor shopping" would likely increase examiners' compliance with screening. Language: en
- Published
- 2009
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