SleepEx Systems Inc, Alpharetta, Ga, and Syntech Solutions LLC, Rockford, Ill, have partnered to provide technical, clinical, and management solutions for the sleep industry. Sleep Review spoke to Sean McDonough, general manager, SleepEx Systems Inc, and Laura Linley, president, Syntech Solutions LLC, about their partnership.

From left, back row, Ron Luich, CFO, Syntech Solutions LLC, and Hilary Linderoth, director of operations, SleepEx Systems Inc. From left, front row, Sean McDonough, general manager, SleepEx Systems Inc, and Laura Linley, president, Syntech Solutions LLC.

What do SleepEx and Syntech Solutions hope to accomplish together?
Linley: SleepEx and Syntech Solutions are two companies that complement one another by striving for the same objectives: to provide an innovative turnkey solution for the sleep industry. SleepEx is a technology and services company focusing on developing software products and services that allow sleep and therapy organizations to manage and track each aspect of their business from laboratory implementation to therapy management. Syntech Solutions offers customized consulting and educational programs by utilizing the collective expertise of technical, clinical, and management professionals from the sleep and neurodiagnostic industries.

How will people who suffer from sleep disorders benefit from the collaboration of SleepEx and Syntech Solutions?
McDonough: The increased awareness of the effects of untreated sleep disorders has created an intense demand for proficient state-of-the-art sleep disorder centers. The primary reason for our partnership is to offer the Gold Standard Sleep Center model including recruiting, training, and implementation protocols that will elevate patient care to new levels and enable the growth necessary to diagnose and treat sleep disordered patients. Utilizing our model in a sleep center will provide the necessary tools to establish a competent center with a high quality of patient care.

What can sleep centers gain from the services of Syntech Solutions and SleepEx?
McDonough: Sleep centers will benefit from a team of professionals who are well versed in the current standards of polysomnography. By using state-of-the-art technology, we are able to offer online operating systems, a functional database program that organizes and tracks every step of the diagnostic and therapy process, as well as an online scheduling feature, which manages patients from referral to tracking CPAP compliance. The combination of this technology with comprehensive training and accreditation preparedness programs establishes the benchmark for managing the quality assurance necessary to maintain exemplary patient care and promote center growth.

What does the future hold for Syntech Solutions and SleepEx?
Linley: By combining industry expertise and progressive software applications, our model will continue to mature and set the standard for sleep disorder centers. This year, we have an aggressive plan to implement cardiology-based sleep centers and are currently developing ways to support the emerging pediatric sleep market. Our services will remain dynamic and responsive while being complementary to the highest standards of patient care.

With continually advancing sleep technology and clinical practices, students of sleep medicine need up-to-date information. Sleep Review spoke to Glenn Roldan, RPSGT, vice president/course director at the California Institute of Sleep Medicine, Sunnyvale, about how his company educates students with the most current sleep industry information and shows the educational advantages that the institute offers to students.

What courses does the California Institute of Sleep Medicine offer?
Roldan: We currently offer a 3-day introductory course to polysomnographic technology and a 2-day scoring course. The 3-day course covers an overview of sleep disorders, hands-on scoring, the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), CPAP/bilevel titrations, mock hook-up sessions, and math computations.

As the sleep industry advances, how does your institute make sure students are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and information?
Roldan: The school talks about up-to-date information with respect to polysomnographic technology and sleep medicine in general and in accordance with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as well as the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists guidelines. Also, all faculty attend various educational seminars with respect to sleep medicine.

What advantages does the California Institute of Sleep Medicine have over other sleep institutes?
Roldan: I believe our low overhead costs come into play when it comes to other sleep institutes. We don’t need to have fancy marketing packets or an extensive faculty roster. Our philosophy is to keep things simple and to the point. We handle an average of six students per course because we feel that the smaller the class size, the better the students are able to comprehend. Second, we are relatively close to two major airports, so students have a choice of which airport to fly into. The hotels that we list are within a 5- to 10-minute walk to our facility, so there is no need to rent a car during the course of their stay. Last, we hold our courses primarily on the weekends (with the 3-day course starting on a Friday). This lessens any prospective downtime for the technician or physician from their work. Though some schools may offer a 1-week or 2-week course, we offer a compressed course in 3 days.

What do students walk away with after attending this institute?
Roldan: They are given a binder with all of the lecture materials that they easily reference if needed. Most of my lecture materials are step-by-step procedures such as how to do the modified 10–20 placement system for sleep, when to increase CPAP, when to increase IPAP vs EPAP, or how to perform an MSLT. I feel that this course will give students a foundation in starting a career in sleep disorders. With respect to my 2-day scoring course, students will have a basic understanding when it comes to staging studies, and identifying and scoring arousals, limb movements, and respiratory events. Though they may not be fully proficient after completing this course, students will have a basic understanding of scoring and will hopefully apply this knowledge into their everyday practice. As with anything, practice makes perfect.