HOW ARE SLEEP STUDIES USED TO DIAGNOSE SLEEP APNEA?

Testing improvements offer alternatives to sleep labs.

A sleep study is a test that records a person’s bodily activities while he or she is sleeping. Sleep studies are often used to diagnose Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Typically, diagnosing OSA has required an overnight stay in a hospital or sleep lab for a polysomnography. The limited capacity of many sleep labs is an issue, but a greater problem is that many patients are either unwilling to go to a sleep lab or find it difficult to reach natural sleep in that setting – resulting in variable or inconclusive test results.

An alternative to a sleep lab is the home sleep test (HST). These tests are a clinically accurate and cost-effective way to improve patients’ access to diagnosis and potentially life-saving treatment. The home sleep test is designed to monitor the same functions measured by lab sleep tests for diagnosing OSA. Sleep labs also measure functions useful in diagnosing neurological disorders, but these data are not needed for the majority of people being evaluated for OSA.

There is a clinical advantage to monitoring a person’s sleep in his or her normal sleep environment.

The NovaSom Diagnostic System (pictured below) is the first nationally available, full-service home testing system that was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for diagnostic evaluation of adults with possible sleep apnea. This system has been proven for more than 10 years to be as accurate as sleep lab equipment in diagnosing OSA, the most common form of apnea.

Instead of trying to sleep in a sleep lab, a patient using NovaSom puts on three simple-to-use sensors that measure breathing, oxygen level, pulse rate, chest movement and snoring. The recording device fits on most nightstands. Patients receive orientation materials and assistance needed to make the sleep study go smoothly.

The data collected while the patient is sleeping are analyzed and a report is generated for physician review.

We can help you find a doctor in your area who has experience with a NovaSom home sleep test. To get started, click here .