CPAP Prescribing Trends Reveal Shifts Since the Philips Recall

wpadminSeptember 19, 2025

0 7 2 minutes read

By Sree Roy

The Philips recall has clearly influenced CPAP prescribing habits, according to new survey data from Sleep Review. The survey highlights how sleep physicians are navigating patient-facing device features, sound abatement technology, and patient adherence strategies four years after the Philips CPAP recall disrupted the market.

Impacts of Philips CPAP Recall

Physicians who prescribe a specific CPAP brand tend to stick with it, the survey data suggests—until a recall forced their hand. Thirty-six percent of CPAP prescribers last changed the primary brand of CPAP they prescribed about three to five years ago; in a follow-up question, most (75%) clarified the switch was due to the recall. The other cited reasons were a new device launch and durable medical equipment company-related (tied at 8%).

Just over a quarter (27%) have consistently recommended the same brand for at least the past five years, and 18% stated they do not usually prescribe or recommend a specific brand.

We asked: When was the last time you changed the primary brand of CPAP you prescribe or recommend? (The Philips recall began 4 years ago).

For those who indicated they changed the brand of CPAP they prescribe or recommend, we then asked why. (No one selected “problems with the service of my previous recommendation” or “medical insurance coverage-related.”)

Do physicians pay more attention now to sound abatement technologies (the disintegration of which was at the crux of the Philips recall)? A majority (64%) said they do, but not all (32%). (Shockingly, the remaining 4% said they are not aware of the Philips recall.)

Since the Philips' CPAP recall, when prescribing positive airway pressure devices I pay more attention to what kind of sound abatement technology is used. — *We stated, “Since the Philips’ CPAP recall, when prescribing positive airway pressure devices I pay more attention to what kind of sound abatement technology is used.”*

Facilitating CPAP Adherence

Getting sleep apnea patients to adhere to their positive airway pressure devices is consistently top of mind. But, surprisingly, the CPAP feature ranked first as contributing to patient adherence isn’t actually part of the device at all: It’s the compatibility with specific adherence-facilitating CPAP masks, according to 36% of respondents.

Ease of use (intuitive power on/off, for example) ranked second. Tied for a distant third were manufacturers’ unique pressure algorithms (including ramp and/or expiratory pressure relief); remote monitoring dashboard for the patient; and remote monitoring dashboard for the prescriber.

In your experience, which CPAP feature contributes most to PATIENT ADHERENCE? — We asked: In your experience, which CPAP feature contributes most to patient adherence? (No one chose: how easy it is for the patient to clean the device/water tub, ease of manufacturer-provided instructions, ease of software updates for device, physical size of the device, length of the power cable, or “none of these seem to impact patient adherence.”)

Receiving CPAP Data

When it comes to receiving that usage data, automated remote uploads—via cloud or modem—are preferred by most physicians (73%). Though the microchip shortage imperiled that for new CPAP purchases between 2021 and 2023, remote upload capability is readily available again.

We asked: What is your preferred method for receiving CPAP adherence data? (No one chose no preference / varies by case.)

The survey—which was completed in July 2025 by sleep physicians and advanced practice providers who had signed a prescription for at least one positive airway pressure device in the past five years—highlights a landscape where fewer device makers compete for CPAP prescriptions, and, in the absence of safety concerns, the CPAP mask may be more important to the device choice than anything intrinsic to the machine itself.