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Home Sleep Testing
Has anyone on the forum had a Home Sleep Test and what did you think about how it worked? If you also had at some time an in lab test, how did the HST compare?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Janknitz on
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Kaiser does only home sleep testing using an older version of the Watch Pat by Itamar (google it). They then issue an auto-cpap (PR S1) for a weeklong home titration.
Personally, I think it is a very good system. I would not have tolerated an in-lab sleep test and titration and probably would never have gotten diagnosed and treated if my care provider required a sleep lab process. Besides that, the device Kaiser uses is peer-reviewed and has a reputation for accuracy. Medicare covers this device for home testing. I think there is a lot to be said for being tested in your home environment, under your normal sleeping conditions and on your own schedule. The testing device attaches to two fingers and your forearm and is very unobtrusive.
So many people complain of discomfort and are unable to get a real night's sleep in a sleep lab--I don't see how you can possibly get an accurate picture under those circumstances--some people don't even make it to REM sleep because of the odd conditions in a lab environment.
I'm not a mouthpiece for Kaiser--there are many things I'm not happy about, but I think their approach to SA is pretty good. Kaiser, as both the insurer and the care provider, has a vested interest in diagnosing and treating SA, because it may head off more expensive health problems further downstream. So they do have an interest in accurately identifying individuals with SA and treating them appropriately. They find that home sleep testing makes sense in that context, and I agree.
I'm not sure how well this would work for more complex apneas and issues like PLMD, but for straightforward OSA it makes sense to do quality home testing and titration. If other insurers and health systems adopted this approach, I think it would save a lot of money and more people would get tested and diagnosed so that they can proceed to treatment.
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