Testing and Treatment
On-Site Diagnostics™ for Ambulatory testing: The patients' choice
Unlike most diagnostic programs that require you to check into a traditional hospital or Sleep Laboratory facility overnight for a full Polysomnographic Study (PSG), SleepSafe™ Drivers On-Site Diagnostics™ program can help your drivers get securely tested with a small portable device while sleeping in their natural sleeping location, whether in their cab, hotel, or home. This preferred logistic approach saves time and money, getting the driver tested, treated, and back on the job with less downtime. Among those who have experienced both methods, ambulatory testing is the clear choice.
We also offer full PSG testing for all drivers who present with potentially complex sleep issues, or we can use full PSG tests for all your drivers if you prefer. However, while in-lab PSG testing is still considered the "gold standard" for the testing of pharmaceuticals or diagnostics for complex cases, ambulatory testing is rapidly growing in use and stature as an equally accurate method of diagnosing sleep apnea for groups who have been pre-screened and are known to be at high risk for sleep apnea.
Further, On-Site Diagnostics ambulatory testing is far more flexible, more convenient for the patient, lower in cost, and far less likely to cause testing delays common to brick and mortar sleep labs. In some cases, sleep labs can require three to four week wait times, while ambulatory testing is just a night away. In-lab testing is also supported by the SleepSafe Drivers program where appropriate, and may be required for those with more complex issues (central apnea, complex apnea, restless leg syndrome, etc.).
World-class expertise in ambulatory testing, with Sure-ID™:
Working in conjunction with Fusion Sleep in Atlanta, our management teams have over 47 years of combined experience with ambulatory testing. We have introduced and supported successful ambulatory diagnostic programs in the U.S. that have completed more than 12,000 tests and supported similar programs in dozens of countries around the world. We have also developed a proprietary Sure-ID process that ensures the identity of the test taker, eliminating the potential for test fraud that has created concerns in the past.
The Embletta is an example of an ambulatory testing device that will screen for sleep in the comfort of your normal home or work environment.
Sure-Compliance™ treatment
One of the most significant issues regarding effective treatment is the industry's terrible record at helping patients achieve acceptable long-term compliance, with an average failure rate of 50%. At SleepSafe Drivers, we recognized that this failure rate is entirely unacceptable for at-risk/fit for duty workers in particular, and we developed the Sure-Compliance program to deliver 90% compliance. Our management team led the development and commercialization of the world's first wireless monitoring system, ResTraxx™, and built our Sure-Compliance patient support program around that technology.
Our clinicians access the HIPAA secure ResTraxx's database each afternoon to check each driver's sleep results. With that data in hand, we are able to call and actively support those who may be starting to develop compliance problems early on. Our Patient Support Team continues the daily compliance checking and support activities for the first month, or until the driver is clearly comfortable with therapy and set on a sure course for long-term compliance. After that period of adjustment, we follow up with each driver every six months to support their ongoing treatment success, document their compliance via data cards, and check to see if they need masks or other supplies.
Equipment matters
As compliance experts at SleepSafe Drivers, we understand from experience that quality matters with the PAP device and masks. Like trucks and tires, there are both cheap and high quality products available, but they do not perform alike. When it comes to your employee's health, safety, treatment success and career, it is important to get an APAP device (Autosetting Positive Airway Pressure) setup designed specifically for the needs of truckers. This technology costs more than a simple CPAP device, but unlike CPAP is able to adjust the pressure output on an ongoing basis (like a thermostat) to ensure that the patient is always getting the optimal pressure to prevent apneas, but also improve comfort. Comfortable patients are compliant, and compliant patients reduce their health care and accident costs. Pictured to the right is an APAP treatment device with the wireless monitoring capability.
Outcomes documentation
SleepSafe Drivers will help you document the total financial impact of treating drivers/employees for sleep apnea. We start by providing guidelines for the collection of existing accident and medical cost data as a "baseline" against which we'll compare your results from those drivers post-treatment. In this fashion, you can easily see your payback period and "ROI" results for the program. While every fleet is different, you should expect that the program will achieve a payback period of four to ten months. These results can help executive management to document the impact of the program, and confirm their financial commitment to proceed with larger scale testing and treatment programs.