Not Your Father's Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory therapy continues to advance in home health care. Industry experts see no end to the market's steady and, in segments like sleep apnea, skyrocketing growth.

“The respiratory sector remains the most important revenue generator for home care providers,” says Erika Laskey, vice president of sales and marketing for CHAD Therapeutics. “Medicare spending for home oxygen grew 13 percent in 2002, and the aging population — the baby boomers — will start to impact our industry in as little as four years. Our future looks bright.”

Within the market, two elements continue to shape respiratory product development: cost concerns, and a growing, educated patient base.

Sleep Takes Center Stage

The sleep disorders segment of the respiratory market is “dynamic,” says Ron Richard, vice president of marketing for the Americas for ResMed, adding that “the majority [of obstructive sleep apnea] patients are private-pay. They are non-Medicare beneficiaries.”

Education about sleep-disordered breathing continues to increase awareness, and experts predict the $800 million segment will grow at about 20 percent a year, solidifying its position as the fastest-growing sector in the respiratory market.

Within this area, patient compliance remains center stage. “The biggest talk with CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] isn't so much the machines,” says Jesse Keirn, vice president of market development at respiratory products distributor Roscoe Medical. “It's the interface, the mask and what kind of mask alternatives there are. Most conversation deals with what kind of interface is going to work best and patient compliance. If [patients] don't like the mask, the headgear, the way it fits, it's no good.

“It's always an ongoing battle with dealers to get their patients to comply,” Keirn adds.

The keys to patient compliance are comfort, fit, cost and durability, Richard says. All four have driven product development in the sleep arena. “Over the last 10 years, we've been focusing on building masks that actively seal on a patient's face and reduce the amount of leaks.”

These “intelligent” masks feature an active sealing cushion that facilitates low headgear tension. As a result, the masks last longer and work better, which ultimately saves money for everyone involved, according to Richard.