Recognition of Sleep Apnea Is Increasing. Analysis of Trends in Two Large, Representative Databases of Outpatient Practice.

Diagnoses of sleep apnea during outpatient visits to hospital-based and non-hospital-based practices in the United States were much more frequent in 2010 than in 1993, as reported by outpatient practice clinicians participating in national surveys. Although the majority of diagnoses of sleep apnea were reported by primary care providers, pulmonologists, and otolaryngologists (60%), there was a substantial increase in reports of sleep apnea by clinicians practicing other specialties during the study period. Reporting of a diagnosis of sleep apnea varied by obesity prevalence and health insurance status across U.S. geographic regions.