It all depends on what you need and want.

You have a range of options.

If you just want to check whether you're at risk of OSA, I can send you an Apnea Risk Assessment test to do. It's free and you can do it anywhere anytime. (SnoreLab is for people who are interested in hearing whether / how loud they snore. If they already know they snore and don't particularly want to hear it, the risk assessment is a more valuable thing to send them.)

At the other end of the scale there are true diagnostic sleep studies. Polysomnograms, which monitor everything that happens while you're asleep. Breathing and snoring patterns. Number of times you stop breathing. Heart activity. Brain activity. Blood oxygen levels. Position. Leg movements and more.

These studies cost money but they are true diagnostic sleep studies, not just a screening. Instead of your diagnosis being calculated by an algorithm, you get a true diagnosis done by a sleep scientists and sleep physician. That means true DSS are recognised by Medicare and the health funds, so if you need any treatment your health fund will make a contribution.

There are also multi channel screening devices you can get online and through pharmacies, and they are quite inexpensive and good as screening devices. But they are not advanced enough to provide a true diagnosis of the nature and severity of your condition, so they are not recognised by Medicare or the health funds, so just be aware of that.

The important thing is you're moving toward finding out why you're feeling the way you feel.

So, from those options, where would you prefer to start?

So let me quickly explain our service to make sure you’re clear on what happens. That way we can both be sure we are the best solution for you. How does that sound?

Okay, well the total cost of a diagnostic sleep study is $590 … but if you’re eligible, Medicare will contribute $300 of that, so your out of pocket expense is just $290....That covers:

• Set up and prep of the diagnostic unit,
• Delivery to your door on the day you choose for your sleep study,
• Express delivery satchel for return to us the next morning,
  
• Refurbishment of the unit and replacement of leads and sensors used during your study,
• Everything associated with getting the recorded data to a Sleep Scientist for scoring and then onto an independent Sleep Physician for formal diagnosis.
• Importantly, there is no need for a visit to a clinic or physician before or after your sleep study because we do all the screening procedures over the phone with you, for free during this phone call.
• As soon as we get the results, we arrange a time to go through everything in detail and in plain English with you so you know exactly where you stand. That’s all included in the $290.

How does that sound?

Before we can move forward, Medicare requires me to check for any conditions which would impact on your eligibility for a Medicare contribution.

So could I just go through these questions with you...

• All 8 questions should be answered 'NO' to qualify for a home sleep study.
• If they answered "YES" for having a disability, they can still be eligible if they have assistance/support available to help them set up and monitor them throughout the night.
• As long as we ask in a caring way, we won't get any flack. Asking these questions is part of helping them get the right type of DSS.
• If we don't want to stuff people around and produce a failed test, which they will be completely unhappy about, we need to check. We can also legitimately say that we are required to ask the questions.
• If someone gets upset, apologies, explain the requirement and send them to a lab/hospital for an attended sleep study.
• If they have one or more 'YES'(es) from the selection below, they aren't eligible for a Medicare Contribution, their condition is also more likely to impact the results of their home sleep study so it would be best for them to proceed with a hospital/clinic study instead, with a technician monitoring them throughout the night.
• You can express it like this: '*I am sorry but you would be disqualified for a home sleep study. In order to get accurate results, it would be best for you to go through an in-clinic study instead.*
• Or like this: '*I am sorry but you're currently not eligible. Although you can still proceed with bulk billed in-clinic sleep study. (Proceed to give alternative options to them.)*
• If they have one or more 'YES'(es) from the selection below, they could also proceed as a private patient by paying the full price of $590 as a last resort. But please do not openly recommend this option since this will most likely lead to many redos on our end, unless of course, if they insist or they have no other option but us.

Let's check the likelihood of you having a serious sleep disorder and that will also tell us whether you meet the Medicare elgibility criteria. This first test is based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

What I’m going to do is give you some different scenarios and I want you to tell me how likely it is you would feel sleepy, not fall asleep, feel sleepy in these situations. The possible answers are No chance, slight chance, moderate, or high chance.

So how likely is it you would feel sleepy if you were:

Alright, now I just need to ask some things to check you against the STOPBANG criteria. Let me start with your date of birth?

I will need to calculate your Body Mass Index, so can I get your height & weight?

Neck size? Collar size? Shirt size? Normal, Large or XL?

Waist size? Belt size? Trouser size? Normal, Large or XL?

Finally, let me check for some symptoms and consequences.

Each of the conditions I'm about to mention are linked to a serious sleep disorder. More than one of these conditions increases the likelihood of you having serious sleep disordered breathing, so it’s important to include on your referral.

This form will be sent to you as a referral so we will need you to see your GP and send the signed referral back to us before we can send the unit out.

When do you think you’ll be able to do that?

So when would you like to do your sleep study? Which night is best for you?

**Please advise the patient that THEY NEED TO DO THE SLEEP STUDY AS SOON AS THE UNIT ARRIVES.

If the unit turns up early, then if convenient, they should do the test that night. If not, then they should do it during the booked date.

If the unit delivery has been delayed, then study needs to be done as soon at it arrives to them.

Comment if appropriate: We use Australia Post, so unfortunately, actual delivery time on the day is out of our control, but we do send a tracking code for your convenience. But don’t worry if the unit is delivered late, which it seldom is, you’ll just need to do your study the following night...Will that be OK?

Now according to Australia Post...delivery to your address will be XXXX. 

How does that sound?