Patient's Guide to Sleep Evaluations

In my research I ran across this publication that has just been released to help prepare and educate patients before their sleep studies.

http://www.brpt.org/Consumer_info/consumer_pamphlet.htm

I am hopeful that they will also come up with another publication for "Patients Guide to receiving their sleep apnea therapy equipment"

Just thought some of you might like to know that some folks in the industry do know that patient education is the key to compliance.

May I take a shower and dress for work the morning after the study?
Will I be able to discuss the results of the study with my doctor before leaving the facility?
Will my primary care physician or the sleep specialist take the lead in providing continuing care after the study?

Yeah, sure. Wanna take bets on the answers??

Ideally, the sleep specialist who performed the initial evaluation and reviewed the sleep study with the sleep technologist will direct the patient’s after care, including follow up in his or her clinic and with other allied health professionals involved with treatment.

And how common is that?

Proper fitting and instruction for use of CPAP equipment – whether simple nosepieces or more elaborate masks – is critical to ensure your comfort and willingness to continue with treatment. There may be a period when different equipment is used and several adjustments are made. It is important that you share your questions and concerns with the sleep specialists who are working with you for the best possible outcome.

Do they mean REALLY see to it that you get a comfortable, good fitting mask no matter how many have to be tried to find THE one??

In fact, sleep disorder specialists help an estimated 85 to 90% of their patients get better sleep.

In an ideal world.

This pamphlet is appreciated. And The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists are to be commended. - But - for the most part it "ain't" happening in our real world.

My, my such a pessimist I am today!!

What time will I be able to leave?

Well, I just had my first study, a split study. I don't think the question is when will you be "able" to leave but at what time will they kick a sleep deprived test subject out and have them drive home. In my case, the answer is 5:45 AM--all so they can keep the techs on the shortest shift possible. They seem to kick you out regardless of how well you slept or what time you normally get up, but perhaps they don't send everyone home. Still, sending sleep deprived people home at 5:45 am seems like they are just asking for someone to crash on the way home. (Actually, I think I was safe to drive or I would have hung out in the parking lot...but I can't imagine everyone is...)

Even my very first sleep evaluation they didn't let me sleep in even tho I was staying for the day for a MSLT. And then because I only fell back to sleep the first 2 hour segments when it was almost time to wake me they sent me home at 2PM which was my sleepiest, run out of steam time of day! Dx? OSA w/no Narcolepsy. Rx? CPAP. Therapy? 2 1/2 months of no assistance and returned equipment telling them what to do with it.

My second sleep evaluation a couple of years later, I woke at 3:30 AM and they said that's enough and sent me home. Dx? PLM or RLS, I forget which; no OSA. This was the chain sleep lab that is currently in trouble w/the Feds in Nevada and headquartered in California.

My third and last sleep evaluation it took me FOREVER to get to sleep but they woke me at 5:45 and sent me out the door. A full house, short one tech and housekeeper off sick.

I slept so badly for the titration study they shipped me home as soon as I had 6 hours bed time (6 AM) and the second titration study at which I also slept badly they shipped me home at 6 AM again.

When they get that 6th hour in (or its cutting close to their schedule) they toss you out no matter if you're asleep and they have to wake you to get rid of you!

It seems to me a GOOD sleep lab would have a daytime housekeeper to come in to do the rooms and sterilize any needed equipment, etc. in addition to their own RPSGT to score their tests and their own transcriptionist to handle the dictated results so that results are available in a TIMELY manner. PLUS on staff sleep doctor to not only interpret results in a timely manner but also available to meet w/patients w/problems & discuss their results and suggested therapy and equipment in a TIMELY manner. In place of the doctor a good, experienced, personable RT to discuss the results, suggested therapy and equipment in a TIMELY manner would be acceptable.

It would also help if they would stagger their patients starting time according to their usual bedtime so that the tech has one patient set up and ready for bed when the next patient arrives.

Yeah, right. In an ideal world, right?