Home sleep study-- option with EKG / EMG and other data

[Sibbs]

Anyone aware of home sleep study options with more data inputs that the typical basic options (ie that include EKG, EMG, etc...)?

I've seen a couple that send you a unit and then have the data read by a sleep doc-- like this one http://axgsleepdiagnostics.com/product/ ... nattended/. Are there regularly used options like this that my own sleep doctor could order and interpret?

I have a fairly serious disability that makes getting to and sleeping in a sleep lab very difficult and have been having some breathing issues that are hard to figure out from my CPAP data alone. Would love to be able to suggest a better home option to my doctor.

Experiences or ideas?

[mariejeanne]

When I went for my titration study, another patient had someone with him to act as personal care attendant. Would that be helpful to you?

[Sibbs]

Thanks-- gifted to have a lovely and supportive spouse who helps me around. Have a serious connective tissue disease that requires a special mattress, wheelchair, etc... and makes me very vulnerable to injury, which is what happened in my one-and-only lab study quite a while back.

Hence my interest in high quality data from home tests. Anyone have any feedback?

[Pugsy]

There's ResMed's Apnea Link Plus but it is a type III study and not quite as comprehensive as a Type II study.
There's NovaSom/AccuSom but I can't tell anything about how detailed it is from their website.
There's Watermark Medical but again I can't anything about how detailed it from their website.

The AXG type II study is probably what I would lean towards. I am pretty sure that a request from your doctor would be sufficient to get it ordered. I think that is LankyLefty's little brain child the AXG thing. I am pretty sure he is the one that came up with that business to fulfill a need for more than the basic pulse ox testing done at home.
I like it that he is right up front about what is covered with each different type of sleep study that they offer instead of being hidden in the depths of some website.

[Sibbs]

THX for the reply. It's more reassuring to know that the AXG study isn't just some random guy trying to make money while using crude algorithms to interpret the data.

I'm still astounded that more of this isn't done given the much better data integrity gotten from measuring sleep in the environments where folks actually sleep. I'm sure decades ago computer power / size and data storage were the limitations, but that's laughable now. Like so much in our medical system it must all trace back to reimbursement and the incentives that creates.

Other input still welcome from all!

[funky-rat]

I did the NovaSom. I have issues with insomnia, and would never have been able to sleep in a lab.

It had 3 things that took readings:
One that went under the nose
One that went around the chest
One that went on the finger

The "unit" that all of those sensors plug into is worn on the arm. If you knock a sensor off, it will let you know by giving a voice prompt like "Please re-connect (insert name here)". The nice thing is that after you wake up, you just need to plug it in so it re-charges, and it sends the readings to NovaSom via it's own built-in WiFi. All of the sensors are disposable, which is nice - no chance you'll get something used. Only the unit gets re-used. I do remember filling out some questions to go back in the box when my 3 days were done. I had answers in less than a week. I didn't even pay to return the equipment, and the people at NovaSom were helpful.

The unit even wishes you a good night when you turn it on.

[KeepSmiling]

It had 3 things that took readings:
One that went under the nose
One that went around the chest
One that went on the finger

I think this may work for obstructive issues.

I know someone who tried this sort of getup. I think the nose thing also connected to mouth. Three different nights to get readings. Of course it did not work properly and the respiratory therapist said there was no issue since PO2 was not decreasing much because there is no apnea, and would not forward case to pulmonologist. (In Quebec they are the ones that can write Rx for complete sleep studies and machines that the insurance will accept.) Person had a referral from Dr for a pulmonologists so
I got them an appointment with a my pulmonologists, after taking a case study, Dr said a full test was needed. After the results the person was titrated and a automachine was prescribed. Within a week on the APAP naps disappeared. Still sorting out things. Yes a process.

The events were a mixture of things. I do not remember off hand.