OBJECTIVES: Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is associated with significant negative economic effects on micro and macro level. The Onera STS, a novel self-applied patch-based polysomnography (PSG) system was recently introduced to overcome limitations with current diagnostic testing regimes. This study aims to assess economic outcomes with using the Onera STS in the Dutch healthcare system in comparison with Standard of care (SoC).

METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate the economic impact of patch-based PSG for diagnosing sleep apnea on societal and healthcare costs, utilities, and sleep-diagnostic related workforce capacity. Quantitative data on healthcare expenses, societal and patient utilities, as well as healthcare workforce resource utilization were collected from published literature and real-world evidence.

RESULTS: Implementation of patch-based PSG demonstrated multi-faceted benefits. At the economic level, it led to a 1.84% reduction in overall societal costs and a 0.35% decrease in direct healthcare expenses associated with diagnosing sleep apnea. Patient outcomes improved, with Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) increasing by 0.22%. A significant impact was observed in resource utilization, with healthcare workforce requirements decreasing by 18.7% compared to SoC. These findings suggest that the innovation offers a favorable balance of cost savings, improved health outcomes, and operational efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS: Patch-based PSG demonstrates promising results across multiple dimensions of health economics. It offers modest but meaningful reductions in both societal and healthcare costs, while simultaneously improving patient outcomes. The substantial decrease in healthcare workforce utilization suggests significant potential for operational efficiency. Further research is warranted to explore long-term impacts and generalizability across different healthcare settings.