1300 731 615

Portable sleep studies

 

Referral forms are now statewide for Launceston, Devonport and Hobart.

Sleep Study PDF referral

Statewide referral practice software templates for Sleep Studies:

Best Practice Statewide Referral Template

 

MedicalDirector Statewide Referral Template

In order to access a Medicare rebate on a sleep study you need a referral from GP or specialist to Health Dynamics. This must include some completed questionnaires. If you score 4 or more in the STOP BANG questionnaire AND 8 or more in the ESS questionnaire and have a referral from your GP, you are eligible to have a sleep study without seeing a sleep physician first. A score of up to 10 is regarded as being in the normal range for the ESS. Once we receive the questionnaires with your referral we will book you in for a study (provided you meet the above criteria), otherwise we will suggest a consultation with one of our sleep physicians.

Pensioners are currently unable to access government funded CPAP units in southern Tasmania through our service, however we do have other options so please contact our office to discuss.

Sleep studies, otherwise known as “diagnostic sleep studies” are critically important tools for determining the nature and severity of a patient’s condition.

For more information, call 1300 731 615 to speak to our friendly staff, to arrange a diagnostic sleep study or request more information.

The home sleep study

Until recently, sleep studies could only be performed in an ‘attended’ setting, typically in a hospital based sleep unit, where trained sleep scientists observe the patient throughout the night. Now in Tasmania a sleep study can be done with a portable diagnostic recorder.

Recently we have upgraded our portable recording devices.These state of the art portable recorders allow the patient to sleep in the comfort and privacy of their own bedroom. Apart from being less daunting and less expensive, these studies also provide a more typical sleeping environment for the sleep study to be conducted in.

Our sleep studies are scored and reported by a local Tasmanian sleep scientist and sleep physicians to get the most detailed and accurate results possible.

In Tasmania, most of the cost of the sleep study is covered by Medicare, provided you are eligible (see above). If your doctor has referred you for a sleep study, contact us on 1300 731 615 to arrange an appointment, and have the home sleep study unit fitted by a sleep therapist.

Generally patients are connected to the recording device by our trained staff. Sometimes due to circumstances such as remoteness, patients have to set themselves up. Here is a video to assist in this process.

 

Tasmanian-based Sleep Study Scorer:

Duncan Johnson
Accredited Clinical Physiologist (Sleep, Respiratory)
B. Med Sci, RPSGT

  • Accredited member of the Australian Council of Clinical Physiologists
  • Over 20 years experience in scoring sleep studies
  • CPAP and VPAP patient educator
  • Current sleep laboratory manager
  • Participant in QSleep – a scoring quality assurance program
  • Member of ANZSSA (Australia New Zealand Sleep Science Association) (formerly ASTA) for over 20 years
  • Current Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT)

 

Tasmanian-based Sleep Study Reporting Sleep Physicians:

Dr Josie Larby
Respiratory & Sleep Physician
FRACP, MBBS, BMSc (hons.)

Dr Hugh Mestitz
Sleep Physician
FRACP, MBBS