Rising awareness, new product alternatives to boost prospects of European sleep apnea diagnostics market

Low levels of awareness among patients and physicians about sleep apnea are hindering the uptake of related diagnostics. Increased knowledge about this breathing disorder together with the emergence of new alternatives to current diagnostics tools is set to aid in market expansion.

According to new research from Frost & Sullivan, efforts to boost awareness among patients, physicians and general practitioners are expected to be central to future market growth. "Adopting innovative marketing strategies such as direct-to-consumer marketing and public relations campaigns to educate proactive consumers is set to promote the adoption of sleep apnea diagnostics," says Research Analyst Fiona Rahman from Frost & Sullivan. "This should be accompanied by physician marketing plans."

Limited knowledge has underpinned the marginalisation of sleep apnea diagnostics and treatment in national healthcare schemes. This has been paralleled by low reimbursement and funding. Despite this, the European total sleep apnea diagnostics market grew at an estimated twelve per cent to reach USD 50.0 million in 2004. Rising public and physician awareness followed by reimbursement/funding increases are set to push revenues to USD 98.0 million in 2011.

An ageing population and increasing obesity cases are boosting the patient population. Gradually growing awareness together with an expansion in the number of sleep clinics is sustaining higher diagnostic testing volumes.

Entrepreneurial trends in healthcare are leading to increased testing facilities while a large, undiagnosed population is ensuring the future market growth of diagnostics. Another driver to market expansion is the cardiology sector, which is beginning to recognise the importance of sleep apnea and its links with cardiac diseases.

Opportunities are emerging for sleep apnea diagnostics in cardiac diseases such as congestive heart failure (CHF). To leverage such potential, the connections between sleep apnea and cardiac devices need to be clearly established even while cardiologists and primary care physicians need to be trained to increase diagnosis, as treatment can be applied to both sleep apnea and the cardiac disease.

Already, alternatives to fixed Polysomnography (PSG) such as ambulatory and portable PSGs that can be used at home and are based on ECG Holters are being investigated. Holter-based ECG machines can be adapted to allow patients with cardiac problems to diagnose heart conditions and sleep apnea simultaneously.

This in keeping with a larger trend targeting the development of technologically advanced products that ensure patient comfort and compliance and thereby raise acceptance levels. Auto setting machines and improved interfaces that promote patient comfort are also poised to effect better compliance.

Significant revenue increases in ambulatory and portable PSGs, as compared to fixed PSGs, are projected to underpin the expansion of the sleep apnea diagnostics market.

"The majority of total market growth is expected to be in the fixed PSG segment since this is expected to continue to be the most widely used sleep apnea diagnostic device," says Ms. Rahman. "However, further high growth is expected to be found in portable and ambulatory PSGs, as they are becoming preferred choices of diagnosis, as they can be used at home and integrated with cardiac disease diagnostics."

In 2004, fixed PSGs accounted for 50 per cent of the sleep apnea diagnostics market revenues, followed by ambulatory PSGs, portable PSGs and partial channel devices. As portable and ambulatory PSGs make strong gains, the estimated revenue share for fixed PSGs is poised to decline to 45 per cent in 2011.

"The industry must address this by communicating the benefits of new diagnostics and by re-engineering cost-effective methods of bringing new products to the market as well as ways of maintaining and improving company profitability and market share," concludes Ms. Rahman.