Institute for Continuing Education

Home Sleep Testing

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the evolution of home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) including historical drivers for adoption, current utilization patterns, and evidence supporting HSAT as an alternative diagnostic pathway for obstructive sleep apnea.
• Explain current clinical practice guidelines and coverage policies for HSAT including AASM clinical practice parameters, Medicare coverage criteria, and appropriate patient selection for home versus in-laboratory testing.
• Identify HSAT device classifications (Type II, Type III, Type IV), technical specifications, required and optional sensors, and differences in diagnostic capabilities compared to polysomnography.
• Apply evidence-based protocols for HSAT implementation including patient education, device setup and instruction, troubleshooting common technical issues, and ensuring adequate data quality for interpretation.
• Interpret HSAT data quality metrics, artifact recognition, manual review requirements, and scoring principles specific to home testing, understanding how methodology differences affect results compared to laboratory PSG.
• Recognize clinical scenarios where HSAT is appropriate versus situations requiring in-laboratory polysomnography, including comorbidity considerations, suspected non-OSA sleep disorders, and failure modes necessitating PSG.
• Evaluate the sleep technologist's expanded role in HSAT programs including patient interaction, technical support, quality assurance, data analysis, and integration of home testing within comprehensive sleep disorder diagnostic services.

Course Information

Things have rapidly changed in the world of home sleep testing. In January of this year, Reuters reported that, “Medicare Coverage Recommended for In-Home Sleep Testing.

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of men and women who suffer from sleep apnea just got some good news: the agency that regulates Medicare and Medicaid policy recommended the coverage of in-home testing for diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea.