Majority of OSA Patients Opt for Home Sleep Test

October 1, 2009 - Article Provided by IDS

After having tested thousands of OSA patients through its nationwide Home Sleep Testing program, Instant Diagnostic Systems (IDS) has compiled survey results revealing that  an overwhelming majority of patients preferred a Home Sleep Test (HST) to an in-lab facility study.   98% of patients responded that they preferred the Home Sleep Test, which clearly indicates that patient preference will drive the market toward more home testing.

The results showed that 97% of patients reported that they felt comfortable with their ability to properly follow the written and video instruction provided by IDS on how to use the ResMed ApneaLink device. Only 15% of patients needed to call the 24-hour patient support line number provided, and less than 5% of patients required re-testing. Nearly all patients (98%) felt that the testing process, including the device return process, was simple.

“Clearly our experience and the infrastructure we built through testing hundreds of thousands of patients with home overnight oximetry testing, along with proper selection of a reliable and easy-to-use device, allowed us to develop a highly successful HST program which exceeds industry standards for reliability”, says Landon Pendleton, Director of Product Development for IDS. “We are quite pleased with what we have put together and clearly patients are, as well.”

“We maintain closer contact with our patients than other HST providers, explaining the test prior to shipping, calling again the day the device arrives and simplifying each step for our patients so that there is absolutely no confusion or anxiety,” added Laura Trout, a registered technologist and Director of Business Development for IDS Home Sleep Testing. “Patients who have doubts don’t sleep well, so we have put a lot of emphasis on putting their minds at ease to make it a positive experience and ensure high quality results.”

Home Sleep Testing, an alternative to more costly studies in a sleep lab, is still a relatively new procedure in the US.  It has been commonly used for many years in other countries, as well as by cost conscious facilities such as the Veterans Administration Hospitals and Kaiser Permanente with excellent results. Home Sleep Testing was approved last year by Medicare and Aetna as a covered service and qualifying test for Positive Airway Pressure, the preferred treatment for patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Other insurance companies are also looking join the push for OSA testing in the home.

If you are a patient in need of a sleep study and want to know if your insurance will cover this convenient new alternative, ask your doctor to refer you to IDS. An insurance specialist will collect your information, check with your insurer and discuss your options with you. To obtain an HST order form to fax or take in to your doctor, visit www.instantdiagnostic.com and go to the “Get Tested” section for patients to print an order form.