RYAN JAVANBAKHT
A BRIGHTER HORIZON WITH
INCREASED ACCESS TO CARE
I
n 2015 the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) released clear and
indisputable information regard-
ing sleep apnea. It declared that
sleep apnea had become a na-
tional epidemic yet 85% of Ob-
structive Sleep Apnea (OSA) pa-
tients are still undiagnosed.
This is a problem.
In 2011, the American Board of
Internal Medicine (ABIM) admin-
istered board certification to
1,575 physicians in sleep. Since
2012, there have only been 150
new physicians a year that have
been board certified in sleep.
This means the number of new-
ly-boarded sleep physicians each
year has decreased by more than
90%. Can you imagine if your pro-
duction dropped 90%? Access to
care for OSA patients will become
even more challenging as time
progresses.
This is a HUGE problem.
Let’s consider some “realistic”,
diagnostic options. Without get-
ting into a long discussion on
whether an in-lab Polysomno-
gram (PSG) or a Home Sleep Test
(HST) is a “better” sleep test, let’s
evaluate some factors and fig-
ures.
• At least 30% of patients who are
prescribed an HST by a dentist
never follow through with testing.
• Anecdotally, over 80% of patients
sent by a dentist to a sleep lab
never follow through with testing.
• Most patients who refuse to go
to a sleep lab for testing aren’t
aware of an HST option.
These are obviously, huge obsta-
cles that dentists must face when
trying to help their patients with
sleep and airway issues.
Regardless of which vehicle is
used as a sleep test for patients,
a board certified sleep physician
is needed to read and diagnose
the sleep test. The best-case sce-
nario for a dentist is to have a lo-
cal sleep lab that is HST-friendly,
with a board certified sleep phy-
sician who is aware of the clini-
cal validations for oral appliance
therapy, who is also willing to
work with a dentist in a multi-
disciplinary approach. Because
these relationships are not al-
ways easy to foster, dentists are
encouraged to utilize a home
sleep testing service in conjunc-
tion with a board certified sleep
physician, to obtain diagnoses,
and deliver effective therapy.
There is a SOLUTION.
Dentists are now able to refer
patients for an HST and patients
can utilize a home sleep testing
monitor in the comfort of their
own bed! Innovative technol-
ogy, coupled with progressive
dental teams brings us nearer to
a brighter horizon… on a verge
of “the tipping point” where we
will decrease the staggering 85%
undiagnosed patients that suffer
with OSA; therefore, changing
our current landscape and in-
creasing access to care.
The question now becomes:
what’s standing in our way? If
we all want to help more patients
toward a healthier lifestyle with
fewer co-morbidities, let’s do it.
Let’s make a difference with pur-
pose…on purpose. Patients need
you.
Ryan Javanbakht,
Co-Founder of
SleepTest.com
SleepTest.com is an organiza-
tion built on the foundation of
their core values to conduct a
more effective sleep testing
model. His mission is to minimize
barriers to testing and increase
access to care.