At-Home Sleep Studies Less Expensive but Less Accurate

He also found that in the laboratory, sleep time was increased by 13% over the home-based studies.

Not surprisingly, there were more poor recordings in the home-based setting, Dr. Ghegan said, demonstrating that 15.7% of the home-based studies had a problem versus 6.2% in the laboratory studies. That difference reached statistical significance at the p = .001 level, he said.

On the other hand, the cost of doing the test at home was significantly less expensive that doing it in the laboratory, Dr. Ghegan illustrated. The cost savings for the home based system ranged from 35% to 88%.

There were no significant differences in the recording of oxygen saturation studies seen between the home and laboratory testing, he said.

“Based on the results of this meta-analysis,” Dr. Ghegan said, “home sleep studies may underestimate the severity of obstructive sleep apnea based on respiratory distress index values. However, that underestimation may not be of clinical significance.

“Home sleep studies offer a less expensive and potentially more readily available option for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, however this may be offset by the increased incidence of poor recording.”

©2006 The Triological Society