The utility and feasibility of assessing sleep disruption in a men's health clinic using a mobile health platform device: A pilot study

Introduction: Evidence linking sleep disruption and sexual dysfunction in men is mounting; yet the characterisation of sleep patterns and complaints utilising a clinically feasible method within this patient population remain largely under-reported. Aim: A pilot study aiming to demonstrate a clinically feasible method to characterise the sleep patterns and complaints in a representative sample of patients treated in a men's health clinic. Methods: Male patients (n = 48) completed a battery of validated sleep questionnaires using an mHealth mobile platform, MySleepScript, at the Johns Hopkins Men's Health and Vitality Center. Metrics related to clinical feasibility such as completion time, ease of use, preference of electronic format, and patient satisfaction were also collected. Main Outcome Measures: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Berlin Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD). Results: Primary urological chief symptoms for this sample patient population were erectile dysfunction (ED; 80%), hypogonadism (40%), benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS; 40%) and Peyronie's disease (10%). Mean PSQI score was 7.8 [SD 4.2], with 67% of all patients falling within the “poor sleeper” range. At least mild symptoms of depression were noted in 40% and 43% were at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the Berlin Questionnaire. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and potential utility of an mHealth platform to assist clinicians, within a men's health clinic, in detecting sleep disturbances. Disrupted sleep was revealed in well over half of this sample of patients. As a result of the growing evidence linking poor sleep and sleep disorders (eg, OSA) to the conditions relevant to men's health (eg, erectile dysfunction, hypogonadism and BPH), further efforts beyond this pilot study are necessary to identify the aetiological processes underlying the association between specific disrupted sleep disorders and urological conditions.