ArticleLaryngoscope investigative otolaryngology2026
Variability in Physical Exam Documentation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Article in Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: This study evaluates variability in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) physical exam templates, contrasts documentation between institutional settings, and identifies inter-specialty differences in documentation. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was performed using the Epic Community Library, a shared database of user-created documentation templates from institutions using the Epic electronic medical record system. Physical exam templates assessing sleep apnea were identified and evaluated against a checklist of 25 key physical exam characteristics from a clinical guideline. Results: Of 6621 templates from 478 institutions, 579 relevant templates were identified. The most frequently included features were vital signs (89.1%), tonsil size (69.5%), and septal deviation (60.2%). The least frequently recorded features were waist-hip ratio (0.8%), hyomental distance (1.6%), and Cottle maneuver (1.6%). The median template included only 7 out of our 25 key features, with an IQR of 5. Body mass index (BMI) was documented in 36.7% of exams. Of the templates from academic centers, 63% were unique compared to 14% from community centers and 27% from health networks. Otolaryngology templates documented nasal cavity and nasopharyngeal features and specialized airway techniques significantly more frequently than sleep medicine, pulmonology, and unspecified templates. In contrast, sleep medicine and pulmonology documented neck circumference more often than otolaryngology, and sleep medicine recorded Mallampati scores more frequently. Conclusion: Significant variability exists in OSA physical exam documentation across institutions and specialties. This may contribute to disparities in patient evaluation and treatment. Standardized OSA physical exam templates could provide a more consistent and comprehensive anatomic exam, facilitate subspecialty communication, and support more accurate patient treatment selections. Level of Evidence: Level 3.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.