10/21/08 - Covidien (NYSE: COV, BSX: COV), a leading global healthcare products company, announced the launch of Sandman Alliance(SM), a first-of-its-kind sleep therapy management program. The Sandman Alliance program is the latest addition to Covidien's "Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea" initiative to improve the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. The Sandman Alliance program unites patients, sleep clinicians and home care providers in their efforts to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other sleep disorders. The patient compliance program provides education, support and encouragement to OSA patients to enhance treatment compliance through personal coaching and empowerment. The program links a sleep counselor with each patient to document progress and track the patient's therapy using a web interface, which provides a common area for the patient's sleep physician to log in and monitor the patient's performance under the program. To support this offering and facilitate its delivery, Covidien has partnered with Assist Management, Inc.
Globally, less than 50 percent of OSA patients recommended for continuous positive airway pressure treatment continue their therapy beyond the first week, and up to 25 percent of remaining patients can be expected to discontinue CPAP use within three years... Covidien's Press Release -
