OCTOBER 2001 PRESS RELEASE
Ongoing Demand For Testing Contributes To A Projected $500 Global Market For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Products, According To A New Report From Feedback Research Services
October 24, 2001 (Jacksonville OR): Sleep is usually taken for granted, but undiagnosed problems contribute to fatigue that can result in productivity losses for employers and higher traffic accident rates nationwide. Although as common as asthma, sleep apnea is a condition that is identified with diagnostic testing in the form of an all-night sleep study. At present, approximately one million patients can be tested annually in sleep centers and laboratories within the United States. Those who are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are typically fitted with specialized continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices to alleviate breathing problems. Sales of these devices, accessories, and supplies support a global OSA product market that may reach $500 million in revenues by year-end 2001.
Despite the recent economic slow-down, most U.S. sleep centers and laboratories are reporting the same or increased demand for overnight diagnostic studies, according to brief phone surveys conducted this week by Feedback Research Services (FRS; www.feed-back.com). This trend is likely to contribute to strong calendar year sales for respiratory care companies such as ResMed Inc. (Poway CA) and Respironics Inc. (Pittsburgh PA).
Surveys and interviews with industry participants add to the comprehensive assessments of product and service revenues presented in the Sleep Screening & Testing Markets report published by FRS in August 2001. Survey respondents this week indicated that patients are still waiting a while before their overnight studies can be conducted. For example, there is a two-week wait at one facility in Southern California compared with a one-month period at Deborah Heart & Lung Center (www.deborah.org). A six to seven week wait has been consistent for most of 2001 in Medford, Oregon, which serves a large rural population drawn from eastern and western parts of the state, as well as nearby northern California communities. At one sleep center, there’s been an estimated 10% increase in total services compared to six months ago, which may be accounted for by word-of-mouth advertising.
Industry sources estimate that only 5% of patients who have sleep apnea have been diagnosed, and ongoing research is finding that untreated sleep-disordered breathing may contribute to cardiovascular disease and strokes.
Feedback Research Services identifies emerging health care delivery systems and analyzes issues and trends affecting current and future product sales and service volumes. Sleep Screening & Testing Markets is a 102-page report that forecasts cardiac diagnostic, patient monitoring, respiratory care, sleep apnea therapy, and sleep testing market revenues and growth rates from 2001 through 2004. For more information about this report, contact us at 541-899-8088 or info@feed-back.com.
