First company in region to offer home sleep testing to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK – Sleep Insights today announced that it will begin providing home sleep services for area patients. Home sleep testing is used only to detect obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which a person repeatedly stops breathing for over ten seconds at a time during sleep. It is not a replacement for testing in a sleep center, which is needed to detect other sleep disorders or to test more medically complicated patients.

"There is a large population of individuals who cannot spend a night at a sleep disorders center, including people with disabilities, those who work at night, and people who simply do not live in close proximity to a center," said Dr. Kenneth Plotkin, the CEO and Medical Director of Sleep Insights. "It is extremely important to ensure that people who obtain home sleep testing receive the proper treatment. Ideally their care is coordinated by a sleep center, and that the decision to proceed with home sleep testing is made by a certified sleep specialist to determine that it is appropriate."

Home sleep testing involves the use of a portable monitoring system that is easily applied by the patient or their home caregiver, which is worn during a normal night of sleep at home. The system includes a recording device, sensors, belts and related cables and accessories. Among the information collected through this monitoring system includes airflow, breathing effort, oxygen levels in the blood, and the sounds of snoring.

"Various home sleep tests are becoming available, and some national companies are beginning to provide them around the country, but the community sleep disorders specialist is in the best position to ensure that the test is done properly and that the results are handled appropriately to diagnose and treat sleep apnea," Dr. Plotkin said. "It should improve the speed of access to treatment and make evaluation more cost-effective, rather than creating a source of disjointed information that represents an extra test instead of the right test."

There are many significant health risks associated with sleep apnea, including high blood pressure, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, and worsening of neurological conditions. Sleep apnea is currently estimated to occur in 5-7% of the male population and 2-3% of the female population of the U.S. The likelihood of developing sleep apnea increases with age, reaching its maximum between the ages of 40-60 years. All untreated sleep disorders cause a negative impact on quality of life, and represent a treatable, avoidable cost to society.

Most health plans in the region, including Medicaid and Medicare, are providing reimbursement for home sleep testing services.