Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, often without the indivi
It is estimated that up to 90% of individuals with OSA remain undiagnosed, despite associated risks including:
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular complications
- Oxygen instability during sleep
Even when diagnosed, treatment adherence remains a challenge, often due to:
- Low awareness or understanding of the condition
- Lack of motivation or readiness to engage in treatment
- Individual barriers such as limited support or low health literacy
The challenge is not just diagnosis – it is sustained engagement and behavior change.
What is PRAISE?
PRAISE is a personalized digital engagement program designed to improve treatment adherence for adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
The program uses a behavioral science-driven approach, tailoring content based on each participant’s readiness for change and individual barriers to adherence.
Participants are assessed and grouped into stages of change:
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance
In addition, PRAISE identifies key barrier areas, including:
- Social support
- Intrinsic motivation
- Sleep health literacy
- Self-efficacy
Based on these inputs, participants receive:
- Personalized SMS-based coaching messages (up to 10 per week)
- Targeted educational video content aligned to their stage of change
- Goal-setting and progress support
- Access to a companion resource website
PRAISE delivers structured, adaptive support to help individuals move from awareness to sustained behavior change.
Pre-Contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation/Action
Outcomes
PRAISE is designed to:
- Improve treatment adherence through personalized engagement
- Messaging is tailored to individual readiness and barriers, supporting sustained behavior change
- Increase patient awareness and understanding of sleep apnea
- Educational content addresses knowledge gaps and reinforces key concepts over time
- Support progression through stages of change
- Structured interventions guide participants from early awareness to active treatment and maintenance
- Address individual barriers to adherence
- Targeted messaging focuses on motivation, literacy, self-efficacy, and support systems
- Enable ongoing engagement through multi-channel support
- SMS messaging combined with digital resources provides continuous, accessible guidance
The Team
PRAISE was developed in collaboration with:
- Dr. Azizi Seixas
- Director, Media and Innovation Laboratory (MIL), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
- Biomedical researcher and health-tech innovator focused on health behaviors, technology, and lifestyle
- Dr. Girardin Jean-Louis
- Professor of Population Health and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health
- Director, PRIDE Institute (NHLBI-funded), focused on addressing barriers to health behavior adoption
