Impact on Care Continuum
- By Kathryn Hansen
- May 01, 2008
A sleep apnea management program requires a number of clinical services and a diverse care team to effectively reduce the risk for an adverse outcome:
Anesthesia — risk for respiratory depression due to anesthetics and medications
Radiology — monitoring for oversedation during invasive procedures
Endoscopy — monitoring sedation used during procedure
Emergency Department — management of pain control
Heart Institute — monitoring for increased sedation
Neurology — risk for stroke
Cardiology — management of ischemic heart disease
Pulmonology — treatment of pulmonary hypertension
Gastroenterology — treatment of acid reflux or GERD
Endocrinology — management of co-morbid diabetes
Internal Medicine — management of co-morbid hypertension
Psychiatry — depression from loss of sleep and reduced quality of life
Risk Management — impact of adverse events
Administration — Support for equipment and staffing resources
This article originally appeared in the Respiratory Management May 2008 issue of HME Business.
About the Author
Kathryn Hansen, BS, REEGT, CPC, serves as a senior consultant with the Sleep Center Management Institute, executive director of the Kentucky Sleep Society and director of Sleep Wellness Centers at St. Joseph Healthcare. Hansen is also the president of Sleep Apnea Monitoring LLC, a consulting company that provides direction for the development and implementation of sleep apnea screening programs for at-risk patients in surgical and procedural settings. For more information on Sleep Apnea Management (SAM) programs, visit www.sleepapneamonitoring.com.