New York, NY (April 12, 2010) – The Sleep Disorders Institute is pleased to announce the launch of Home Sleep Testing (HST) services for sleep apnea. These services allow patients to undergo unattended polysomnography in the comfort of their own homes.
In order to qualify, patients must have: habitual snoring, witnessed apnea, obesity (body mass index >30), an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score >10, and no evidence of a significant medical co-morbidity (e.g., CHF, chronic pulmonary disease, or neuromuscular disease) or other sleep disorder (e.g., narcolepsy, central sleep apnea, or periodic limb movement disorder). All HST referrals are screened by an interdisciplinary team of physicians who are board certified in sleep medicine and who prepare expert test reports, assuring that patients receive the high quality of care for which the Sleep Disorders Institute is so well known.
Dr. Stephen Lund, Director of the Sleep Disorders Institute, stated: “Some patients find it difficult to stay overnight at a sleep center, and prefer to have testing in the comfort of their own homes. We’ve designed a program to serve them. Our Home Sleep Testing team sends a recording device to the patient by mail, and the device is conveniently applied by the patient before bedtime. The patient then returns the unit to us by mail the following morning so that test results can be reviewed and a report sent to the referring doctor.” This approach to the diagnosis is being adopted by managed care companies nationwide in the interest of improving access to sleep medicine services and delivering better healthcare options to their subscribers. “We are pleased to add HST to our panel of clinical services,” Dr. Lund added.
For more information or to refer a patient for home sleep testing, contact the Sleep Disorders Institute at 212.994.5100, info@fnkagay.cluster051.hosting.ovh.net, or visit www.sleepny.com.