# Delayed medical consultation and influencing factors in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

## TL;DR

This study finds that all elderly patients with sleep apnea experience delays in seeking medical care, and identifies factors like perceived barriers and education level that contribute to these delays.

## Contribution

The study identifies a 100% incidence of medical consultation delays in elderly OSA patients and quantifies influencing factors using a cross-sectional survey.

## Key findings

- All 276 elderly OSA patients experienced delays in seeking medical care, ranging from 0.20 to over 40 years.
- Perceived barriers to consultation and knowledge attitudes practices (KAP) were the most significant factors influencing delays.
- Patients with secondary or higher education and moderate/high income still faced delays, indicating broader systemic issues.

## Abstract

This study aims to examine the prevalence of delays in medical consultation and the associated factors among elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) through a cross-sectional survey design.

A total of 276 elderly OSA patients were recruited from the sleep monitoring unit of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, following overnight assessment with the Apnealink portable monitoring device between 2021 and 2022. Data were collected through a general demographic questionnaire, the OSA Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) questionnaire, the Perceived Barriers to Medical Consultation Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale to evaluate medical consultation delays and their correlates.

Among the 276 elderly OSA patients included in the analysis, the shortest recorded delay in seeking medical attention was 0.20 years, while the longest exceeded 40 years, demonstrating that all patients experienced some degree of delay, with a 100% incidence rate. Factors influencing medical consultation delays were identified in the following order: perceived barriers to medical consultation, levels of KAP, clinical symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness and morning xerostomia, life satisfaction, and the method of healthcare payment.

Elderly OSA patients mainly with a secondary or higher education and moderate- or high-income universally face varying degrees of delays in seeking medical care, reflecting an overall concerning trend in healthcare engagement. It is imperative for healthcare professionals to conduct regular health education initiatives aimed at the elderly population to enhance awareness of OSA, foster a proactive approach to seeking medical care, and promote accurate disease comprehension, thereby improving the likelihood of timely consultation.