AUTUMN BODILY
GIANT
THE EFFICACY HOME SLEEP TEST :
GIANT
THAT HUMBLE
AUTUMN BODILY , RDA Director of Education and Training Ez Sleep In-Home Testing
Proving a point is something we do quite well in a debate . We cite resources and collaborate with professionals to back up our findings . As caregivers we want proof that the treatment we are providing is actually working . Otherwise , what ’ s the point ?
Recommending an efficacy home sleep study to prove the benefits of oral appliance therapy is one of the great contributors to the increased compliance rate of patients undergoing OAT . Aside from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendation that “ sleep physicians should conduct follow-up sleep testing to improve or confirm treatment efficacy … for patients fitted with oral appliances ,” patients are far more willing to continue treatment with a therapy they have documented proof is working .
Let ’ s take the example of a 45 year old patient , Kyle , whose wife urged him to seek OAT to treat his obtrusive snoring . First off , at 150 lbs ., Kyle didn ’ t look like someone with sleep apnea , but his wife was beginning to sleep in the guest room ! Kyle said he snored like every other man in his family . His wife quickly reminded him that every other man in his family has suffered a stroke by age 65 . After being screened and baseline tested for OSA he was surprised to see an AHI of 12 . Kyle began oral appliance therapy and his wife moved back into their bedroom . His dentist prescribed an efficacy home sleep test . What ’ s interesting here is what happened next . During the week between taking the efficacy test and his consultation with the dentist , Kyle stopped wearing his appliance nightly . His wife asked why . He said he didn ’ t think it was worth it , he slept fine to begin with and he didn ’ t hear the snoring anyway .
After sitting at the oral appliance efficacy consultation with his dentist and seeing , with his own eyes , his AHI had been reduced to 4 . He told his dentist he had no idea it was as effective a treatment as it truly was . He was able to see , in black and white , his snoring volume reduced dramatically . He vowed then and there to wear his appliance nightly . He understood , empirically , that without this little appliance he was robbing himself of life giving oxygen . His wife leaned over and whispered , “ Among other things .”