Below is a brief from HME News on new research concerning in-home sleep studies.
In brief: Study compares sleep success rates
05.21.2010
PHILADELPHIA – New research indicates that patients who get tested for sleep apnea in their homes do as well on CPAP therapy as patients who get tested in labs. Researchers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center conducted a two-site study with nearly 300 randomized patients who underwent either standard in-laboratory sleep-testing or at-home testing. Of the 223 patients who started CPAP treatment after evaluation, 185 completed three months of follow-up. Average hours of daily use over the three-month period were similar between the two groups. “One of the biggest and most insurmountable barriers to treatment is the need for overnight testing in a sleep laboratory,” stated Dr. Samuel Kuna, chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep at the center. “Our research suggests that this may no longer be mandatory for diagnosis.”
Remote or in-home sleep testing is an alternative to in-hospital laboratory sleep testing. In-home sleep testing can be used to diagnosis Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) for individuals who have a history of loud chronic snoring, are identified as high-risk using a scientifically validated sleep survey such as the Epworth Sleepiness scale or have other health factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Click here for more information on Respira Medical’s Portable Sleep Studies.