New CA Polysomnography Bill

Excerpt from sleepguide.com -- http://www.sleepguide.com/forum/topics/ ... hy-bill-in

Does this definition of polysomnography seem, on its face, as preposterously broad to all of you as it does to me? I thought polysomnographers just do the sleep study.


"Polysomnography" means the treatment, management, diagnostic
testing, control, education, and care of patients with sleep and wake
disorders. Polysomnography shall include, but not be limited to, the
process of analysis, monitoring, and recording of physiologic data
during sleep and wakefulness to assist in the treatment of disorders,
syndromes, and dysfunctions that are sleep-related, manifest during
sleep, or disrupt normal sleep activities. Polysomnography shall also
include, but not be limited to, the therapeutic and diagnostic use
of oxygen, the use of positive airway pressure including continuous
positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel modalities, adaptive
servo-ventilation, and maintenance of nasal and oral airways that do
not extend into the trachea.

At least they left out the warnings on prescription meds, May cause blindness, cancer, painful hearing, and one leg shorter than the other syndrome. Stop taking if death occurs, and see your doctor. Jim

Well .... the first sentence "Polysomnography" means the treatment, management, diagnostic testing, control, education, and care of patients with sleep and wake disorders." really choked me up!!! Say what?

But then as you read thru it a time or two or three ... its not as broad and all encompassing as the first impression. At least my first read thru real quick was that PSG would included from testing itself thru the explanaton of results, thru the selection and provision of home equipment thru keeping track of compliance...

But it doesn't. It just means that they have a lot to pack into one or two nights of sleep evaluation and titration plus daytime MSLT. If the patient needs 02 during the night they need to be able to determine that and they need to know how to administer it, explain as much as the patient wants to know about what the testing will be like and selecting a mask, etc.

AND ... they don't tell you to ask your doctor!!

oh, i was concerned that it was meant to exclude others from being able to do this stuff.

It mean if the Polysomnography Tech, comes into your room with a knife and a strange look in his eyes, RUN for your life! Jim

Yeah, that first sentence does kinda grab your attention and "rock" you a bit. I sometimes think laws are deliberately written to confuse us.

Laws are made for two reasons, One to raise prices or taxes on the people.

Also to give favor to special interest groups, who give the lawmakers money or support, so they can milk the people for even more money.

When someone want to make a "Law to Help People, or Protect Them", grab your Wallet and Run. If you can't run fast enough, you loose all your Freedoms, and your Wallet. Jim

Umm, what? I thought polysomnography would be the setting up a polysomnograph, taking measurements, and analyzing results. Throwing their net pretty damned wide!

See how cool it sounds when you substitute a "polygraph" and truthiness-related terms?

"Polygraphy" means the treatment, management, diagnostic
testing, control, education, and care of patients with secrets and lying
disorders. Polygraphy shall include, but not be limited to, the
process of analysis, monitoring, and recording of physiologic data
during questioning and interrogation to assist in the treatment of disorders,
syndromes, and dysfunctions that are truth-related, manifest during
speech, or disrupt normal speaking activities. Polygraphy shall also
include, but not be limited to, the therapeutic and diagnostic use
of truth serum, the use of torture including waterboarding and simulated drowning modalities, adaptive
asphyxiation, and disruption of nasal and oral airways that do
not extend into the trachea.

Spooky!

Whilst at the sleep lab for a PSG there is often or even usually "just" the sleep tech(s) and the patient(s). The RPSGT then has the sole responsiblity for the patient(s)' welfare: i.e. if during the PSG the patient encounters severe apnea and desaturations it is up to the RPSGT to start CPAP use and titration and if severe enough desaturations occur it is up to the RPSGT to get an order from a doctor to bleed 02 into the patient's system, etc.