Members wish to highlight the connection between sleep disorders and respiratory conditions to increase awareness within both the public and HCPs. They will seek out new opportunities to increase patient involvement in sleep research and encourage patients with respiratory sleep disorders to participate in research and advocate for improved treatment and care.

The PAG will explore inequalities in access to diagnosis and treatment across Europe, including long waiting times for diagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment options. This work could extend further into seldom heard groups, including the underdiagnosis of sleep apnoea in women and the need for more gender-specific treatment solutions, such as CPAP masks designed for women.

The PAG and any aligned partner organisations will work to raise awareness of how maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help manage sleep apnoea and related respiratory conditions.

The PAG are currently involved in an ERS Task Force producing guidelines on the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) to make sure patient perspectives are taken account of in the new guidelines.