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Session Schedule

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0:00:00
Overviewing the current use of consumer sleep technologies by both the patients and healthcare professionals
Walter McNicholas (Ireland)

0:17:50
How patients perceive and use consumer sleep technology
Michael Grandner (United States)

0:33:45
Innovations on consumer sleep technology for sleep tracking and scoring
Erna Sif Arnardóttir (Iceland)

0:49:15
Innovations on consumer sleep technology for the sleep-disordered breathing
Timo Leppänen (Finland)

1:05:30
Sponsorship bias and lack of validation – Exploring the negative effects of commercial aspects on the validation of consumer sleep technologies
Gabriel Natan Pires (Brazil)

1:24:00
Question and answer

Summary

Consumer sleep technology (CST) refers to wearables, nearables, smartphone apps and other technologies that are marketed directly to consumers, allowing them to monitor their sleep or to manage and treat sleep-related symptoms. The number of available CST has been growing in recent years, which can be attributed to three main reasons: 1. Epidemiological reasons: Sleep disorders and symptoms are highly prevalent, creating a demand for accessible diagnosis and treatment. 2. Practical reasons: Traditional sleep medicine approaches are usually unaffordable, unavailable, and uncomfortable, emphasizing the need for consumer-friendly alternatives. 3. Commercial reasons: The expanding market for sleep-related products encourages companies to innovate, design, and refine sleep technologies.

These aspects explain why CSTs are used by a growing number of patients, therefore changing the landscape of how people understand and face sleep-related symptoms, complaints and disorders. New CSTs are welcomed and might be beneficial for consumers and practitioners, as long as they are accurate, safe, and validated through clinical testing. However, the overall accuracy and lack of validation in CSTs raise concerns, as many available devices and apps have not undergone thorough testing or received approval from regulatory bodies. As the number of available CSTs increases and uncertainty about their accuracy persists, consumers and patients face challenges in distinguishing between reliable and unreliable devices. This can lead to misinterpretation of sleep-related symptoms and affect their decision to seek professional treatment. Similarly, sleep specialists may struggle to evaluate the reliability of these technologies.

This symposium will focus on the current use and impact of CSTs, discussing the balance between the benefits of properly validated tools (which are rooted on responsible product development) and the risks of untested and unreliable ones (which are frequently biased by commercial aspects). It comprises five lectures given by experienced researchers from five different countries, ranging from a general overview of the current role of CSTs in sleep medicine to discussions of the most recent technologies.

The first lecture, (Dr. Walter McNicholas, Ireland), will cover the current role of CST in sleep medicine, discussing its overall benefits and challenges. The second lecture (Dr. Michael Grandner, USA) will focus on the patients’ perspective, discussing what motivates someone to use CST and how they perceive value in such tools. The following lectures will focus on recent developments and innovations on consumer sleep technologies, focusing on sleep-tracking devices and apps (Dr. Erna Sif Arnardóttir, Iceland), and on new technologies for the screening and diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing (Dr. Timo Leppänen, Finland). The final lecture (Dr. Gabriel Pires, Brazil) will discuss the commercial aspects involved in the process of development and commercialization of CST, focusing on how sponsorship and other commercial biases challenge a reasonable and responsible implementation of such devices. We believe this symposium will be a good opportunity to discuss the benefits, challenges and risks related to the current use of CST by patients and practitioners, as well as to foresee how the field will evolve.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this CME activity, participants will be able to:
• Identify the current patterns of use of consumer sleep technologies by both patients and practitioners
• Describe the reasons that drive patients to use consumer sleep technologies, including how they assess the reliability of wearable devices and smartphone application
• Know recent innovations in sleep-tracking consumer sleep technologies, understanding who they work and evaluating their reliability
• Know recent innovations in consumer sleep technologies for sleep-disordered breathing (mainly including obstructive sleep apnea and snoring), focusing on how new sensors and devices are developed and their actual applicability
• Recognize how sponsorship bias affect the process of development and validation of new sleep technologies, usually prioritizing commercial aspects (e.g. profitability, patentability) over technical validation and clinical responsibility