Sleep disorders committee: Thinking about opening your own sleep lab?

Otolaryngologists are increasingly involved in the diagnosis and treatment of snoring and sleep apnea. Sleep studies are an essential part of treating this substantial population of patients. Sleep studies can be performed at home, in a hospital, or in a freestanding sleep laboratory. Most of these laboratories are owned or managed by neurologists or pulmonologists who specialize in sleep medicine. Otolaryngologists are currently dependent on these labs and their interpreting physicians to obtain the data necessary to advise and treat their patients. Are otolaryngologists sleeping on the job? Should we open our own sleep laboratories or perform home studies? Performing sleep studies and dispensing CPAP devices is comparable to ordering an audiogram and dispensing hearing aids. Otolaryngologists own the equipment needed to perform an audiogram, hire audiologists to work in their office, interpret the audiogram, and then recommend and provide surgical and/or medical treatment. Can and should we do the same for sleep patients? The purpose of this seminar is to explore the pros and cons of opening your own sleep lab. The debate over home sleep studies versus in laboratory attended studies will be discussed. The practical experience of one of our colleagues on how to go from the idea to the reality of owning and running a sleep lab will be presented. Performing CPAP titration studies and dispensing CPAP will be addressed. Business and legal issues will be reviewed as well.