Home Sleep Testing for Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) occurs when the upper airway collapses during sleep, interrupts airflow and reduces blood oxygen levels during sleep. Sleep apnea is one of the most serious and under-diagnosed medical problems in the U.S. An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from moderate to severe sleep apnea—yet, a startling 85% of sufferers are undiagnosed. Sleep apnea puts patients at risk for other confitions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and depression, and can have severe consequences if left undiagnosed and untreated.

Diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea requires a sleep study. For most adult patients, a  NovaSom Home Sleep Test is clinically appropriate and accurate to diagnose OSA. For certain patients, especially those for whom other sleep disorders are suspected, in-facility testing is right.

Alternatives are now made available by Sleep Centers

Prior to the availability of HST, sleep studies have traditionally been performed overnight in Sleep Centers. With the advent of home sleep testing, communitay based physicians and most Sleep Centers can now offer patients the option of testing at home. Certain practical circumstances may dictate that the Home test is a better option for patients.

Home Sleep Testing could be appropriate for many patients who…

• Are experiencing long waiting lists for Sleep Center appointments
• Live in rural areas with limited access to Sleep Centers
• Cannot afford the deductible and coinsurance costs associated with in-facility testing
• Feel uncomfortable sleeping in a foreign bed or are unable to schedule time away from home.

Tackling the False Negative Issue in Sleep testing

Research has shown that identifying OSA with just one night of testing can be difficult due to "first-night effect" and night-to-night disease variability. Many patients deemed "normal" after a one-night test were later found to have OSA. The convenience and lower costs assocaited with at-home testing make multi-night testing feasible, eliminating false negatives.

For a variety of reasons, many patients referred to Sleep Centers do not complete their testing. For such patients, undiagnosed sleep apnea threatens their health, quality of life and well being. NovaSom Home Sleep Testing addresses this dilemma.

The Solution: NovaSom Home Sleep Test

Currently, the vast majority of OSA testing is performed in a Sleep Center. NovaSom Home Sleep Testing is a less expensive and convenient alternative, for up to 80% of patients suspected to have OSA. Providers are well equipped to determine when other sleep disorders are suspected, or when neurological conditions or severe co-morbidities suggest the need for Sleep Center testing.

Uncomplicated OSA is a stratightforward diagnosis. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine requires certain physiological parameters to diagnose OSA. NovaSom Home Sleep Testing directly measures the parameters to diagnose OSA, as recommended by the AASM. The PSG Sleep Center study measures many additional parameters which are necessary to diagnose other sleep disorders and to evaluate the coexistence of severe heart and lung disease, for example.

NovaSom Home Sleep Testing is now covered by many insurance companies. Increased adoption and use of Home Sleep Testing can contribute to identifying the15 million Americans with undiagnosed moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, and can put them on the path to treatment and improved quality of life.