BROOKINGS – Brookings Health System has expanded its sleep diagnostics services by offering at-home sleep studies.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
BROOKINGS – Brookings Health System has expanded its sleep diagnostics services by offering at-home sleep studies.
“Technology advances in polysomnography allow us to now issue equipment to patients for in-home use to conduct sleep studies for obstructive sleep apnea, the most common sleep disorder,” Respiratory Care Director Lynne Thompson said.
Patients who have a physician’s referral for an at-home sleep study will pick up a portable monitoring system from Brookings Health System’s Sleep Diagnostics Facility.
Following step-by-step instructions, the patient will place two belts around their midsection, a clip on their finger and an air sensor on their nose prior to going to sleep.
The patient will wear the monitoring system while sleeping in their own bed and return the monitor the next day to Brookings Health’s Sleep Diagnostics Facility. Polysomnographers will download the patient’s data and results will be sent to the patient’s physician.
“A big advantage to the patient is that the test is performed in their own bed and in familiar surroundings, reducing first night effect, a condition in which the sleep testing equipment and environment affects the patient’s sleep quality,” said Thompson.
Other advantages of in-home sleep tests include convenience for patients who are home-bound, elderly or require specialized care from a nurse or family member overnight. In addition, the cost is significantly less than an in-lab sleep study and is typically covered by insurance.
Depending on the results from the in-home sleep study, a patient’s physician may either prescribe assistive sleep devices or recommend the patient for further in-lab sleep testing.
“An at-home sleep study measures heart rate, airflow, movement in the chest and abdomen, time spent snoring and sleep position,” said Thompson. “An in-lab study measures all of those plus brain waves, sleep time and leg movements. As such, an in-lab study can give more comprehensive information for diagnoses such as complex sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.”
Brookings Health System provides in-lab sleep testing for patients 16 years of age and older. Daytime sleep studies are also available for those patients who work overnight shifts. Individuals interested in either an in-home or in-lab sleep study at Brookings Health System should speak with their physician to request a referral. More information can be found at www.brookingshealth.org/SleepLab.