Experts share practical strategies for improving efficiency, reducing administrative burden, and expanding patient access with disposable HSTs.
By Sree Roy
Disposable home sleep tests (HSTs) offer a compelling proposition for sleep practices: simplified logistics, reduced administrative burden, and increased patient access. By eliminating the need to clean, track, and manage a fleet of reusable devices, clinics can streamline their diagnostic processes and potentially increase testing capacity without significant staff increases.
But the operational benefits of disposables aren’t automatic. And they hinge on more than just the device’s per-unit cost. It’s best to take a holistic view of the sleep care pathway, from patient intake to therapy adherence.
By optimizing key processes, sleep physicians, techs, and dental sleep medicine practitioners can avoid the small errors that erode time savings, better ensuring smooth workflows for staff and a better experience for patients.
Calculate the True ROI
When evaluating the financial viability of disposable HSTs, look beyond the line-item cost of each test. While single-use devices often have a higher per-unit price than the amortized cost of a reusable one, a comprehensive analysis can reveal hidden savings that offset the initial expense.
Although disposable tests may cost more upfront, Sadia Saeed, MD, a medical advisor at the virtual healthcare platform Welzo, notes that many practices report “saving time and money on personnel, reducing lost equipment, and increasing the speed at which patients go through the diagnostic process helps to offset the increased cost.”
This “hidden math” is a concept familiar to Jonathan Wong, DDS, MS, owner of Renovo Endodontic Studio, who helps dental practices refine their administrative processes. The greatest operational benefit, he says, comes from avoiding the many small tasks associated with reusable devices. “Cleaning and charging, bagging, sensor checks, call for missing parts, follow up can take up to 40 minutes per completed test,” Wong says. “This time is seldom reported on a timesheet because it is spread out between the front desk, the attention of the assistants, and the clinician.
“The savings that truly make this worthwhile are in the interruptions, charts that stall, and even loose ends between screening and review of the results.”
Master the Patient Intake Process
A critical process in a disposable HST workflow—especially one that involves mailing kits—is patient intake. An upfront time investment can prevent delays later.
“The intake step must be taken seriously as it’s the actual test,” Wong says. He advises that a confirmation of details should be done before pressing the “send” button on any order. This includes reviewing symptoms, noting any medical flags, verifying payer information, and, crucially, confirming the patient’s mailing address and phone number.
“It’s possible to lose the savings by entering the wrong address,” Wong cautions. “The time that could have been saved by disposable testing can be lost to wrong apartment numbers, not taking calls, or lack of clarity on when to pick up phone calls.”
Wong says spending five to seven minutes with the patient to review these details “can save two days of clean up afterwards in the case of a mis-shipped” unit or a confused patient.”
Simplify Patient Education
Even simple devices can present challenges for a patient who is trying to follow instructions at bedtime while sleepy. To mitigate user error and ensure high-quality data, patient education must be direct, simple, and supportive.
Wong advocates for a streamlined educational approach. Instead of relying solely on the manufacturer’s multi-page manual, practices should provide their own clear, concise instructions. “The patient requires one page of instructions, a two-minute walk-through, and a well-defined support window prior to kit shipping or patient’s departure from the office,” he recommends.
Providing a specific time frame and contact number for patients to call if they encounter issues at bedtime can also help prevent failed studies.
Leverage Scheduling Advantages
One of the primary operational benefits of disposable HSTs is the ability to create more predictable workflows. “In addition to requiring time for the reuse of each device (cleaning, inspecting for damage, etc), as well as having to manage the flow of devices back into inventory, clinics have to track when their reusable devices will be returned,” Saeed says. “Disposable home sleep tests eliminate all of this; therefore, clinics are able to book patients with much more certainty and far fewer interruptions/disruptions.”
This predictability is enhanced by the convenience of direct-to-patient shipping, an option with many services that provide disposable HSTs. “Many times, the tests are shipped directly to the patients at no additional charge to the practice; therefore, there are fewer logistical challenges with scheduling,” says Louis Lerebours, MD, a family medicine physician at Freeman Recovery Center.
This model can also improve patient access. As Saeed points out, mail-order testing can be especially beneficial for “people living in rural areas or individuals who face transportation challenges.”
By simplifying the testing process and allowing patients to complete evaluations in their own homes, practices may see higher participation rates and faster progression to treatment planning, according to Lerebours. From an operational standpoint, he adds, this efficiency may allow a practice “to increase its testing capabilities with minimal increases in staffing.”
An Alternative Approach: Efficiency Through Longitudinal Monitoring
While disposables offer one path to workflow efficiency, it is not the only one. Some clinicians are finding ways to streamline the diagnostic and treatment process using reusable devices, but in a different paradigm focused on long-term data.
Pulmonologist and sleep physician Sahil Chopra, MD, co-founder of Empower Sleep, makes reusable HST workflows efficient through longitudinal assessment and therapy monitoring. Rather than a single-night study, Chopra typically offers his patients a device compatible with SleepImage’s software as a service, such as a SleepImage ring, to gather a two-week baseline for diagnosis. This is followed by continuous testing to optimize therapy over time.
This approach can be particularly effective for trialing oral appliance therapy. Chopra has patients test an inexpensive, over-the-counter “boil and bite” appliance while wearing the reusable longitudinal HST. “They already have like the SleepImage ring,” he explains. If the data shows a positive response, it provides a strong indication that the patient will benefit from a custom-fabricated oral appliance.
Quality of Care at the Core
Ultimately, whether a practice chooses disposable HSTs, a longitudinal monitoring model, or a traditional reusable device workflow, the goal remains the same. As Lerebours states, “The best clinical solution for your practice would be one that provides excellent quality of care to your patients while providing your office with efficient and sustainable ways to operate.”
