AASM says PLATO questionnaire fills void in sleep medicine 

DARIEN, Ill. - The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has developed and validated a patient-reported outcome tool called PLATO for use in a clinical setting to monitor treatment, response and longitudinal progression in adults who have obstructive sleep apnea. Results show that the “Patient-reported Longitudinal Assessment Tool for OSA” demonstrates strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability and exhibits robust construct validity through moderate-to-strong correlations with established measures. Scores from the PLATO questionnaire also discriminate between sleep apnea severity levels and body mass index groups, and they are responsive to symptom improvement. “The PLATO questionnaire is a valid and reliable patient-reported outcome tool that fills a significant void in the field of sleep medicine,” said lead author Dr. Douglas Kirsch, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and past president of the AASM. “The 11-item questionnaire can be completed in less than four minutes and is easy to score, making it simple to implement, even in busy clinical settings.” PLATO comprises 11 questions that assess patients’ sleep-related experiences in the past seven days and nights. The questions address topics such as feeling tired or sleepy, experiencing morning headaches or snoring, and overall sleep quality. Patients can complete PLATO during clinic visits before therapy is implemented and at various times after treatment begins to monitor a patient’s response to any form of sleep apnea therapy. The manuscript is available online as an accepted paper and will be published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the official publication of the AASM.