Primary care research highlights delays in sleep apnoea care and gaps in imaging

This British Journal of General Practice “Yonder” roundup summarises four primary-care-relevant items. An English study of obstructive sleep apnoea from 2009–2021 reported a diagnosed incidence of 65.06 per 100,000 person-years. Median time from GP referral to CPAP exceeded six months. A Netherlands opinion piece discusses predictive processing as a framework for understanding persistent physical symptoms when tests show no recognised disease process.

A study using healthcare records from Brent, London, found poorer health status among patients with poor English proficiency who had English recorded as their first language; patients with poor English proficiency and a non-English first language had higher use of services across all areas. A UK database study found that 26% of patients aged 60 or older with new-onset diabetes and unexplained weight loss had abdominal imaging recorded within 12 months before or after diabetes diagnosis.

The findings point to potential delays and gaps in care, but the roundup provides limited methodological detail for the underlying studies. The imaging estimate relies on electronic-record coding, and higher service use among people with limited English proficiency may have several explanations. NICE guidance cited in the item recommends urgent abdominal imaging for eligible patients; the reported study does not establish why imaging was not recorded.