New Online Test: SleepTest.com Aids in the Diagnosis of OSA
According to the World Health Organization approximately 100 million people worldwide have OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). With OSA affecting the masses, you’d think a sleep test would be part of each physical exam and doctor visit. On the contrary, it has been estimated that less than 25% of patients have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, leaving millions at risk of complications. SleepTest.com offers a new online sleep test, for those who may be suffering with sleep apnea.
With awareness being a key factor in diagnosis, companies are emerging with goals of raising awareness through education, diagnostic screening technologies, home sleep testing and now, free OSA testing. Companies such as Sleep Group Solutions (SGS) have been educating dentists and physicians across the globe on how they can screen and treat OSA through home sleep testing programs, diagnostic equipment and oral appliance therapy. These courses have generated a local buzz among the dental and medical community, and in turn, dentists and physicians are saving lives and creating healthier patient populations simply by asking patients a series of questions, and running tests. “Our seminars are designed to teach dentists how to treat patients with OSA through oral appliance therapy. They attend a Dental continuing education course, and become experts in screening and treating OSA in their dental practices,” comments Rani Ben David, President of Sleep Group Solutions.
Sleep Group Solutions took it a step further and partnered with online giant SleepTest.com to offer patients a new and free way to screen for OSA. Patients can now log onto the website (sleeptest.com) and fill out a brief questionnaire from the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The answers measure the level of sleepiness patients feel throughout the day. The results can be sent to a local dentist in the area, and an appointment can be made straight from the site. SleepTest.com is also utilized by patients who have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but may be looking for CPAP alternatives. “The statistics are alarming, that is why SleepTest.com is dedicated to raising the awareness of Sleep Apnea and other sleep related illnesses. Our goal is to not only help save lives, but to help people live a better, healthier life,” Elias Kalantzis, Founder of SleepTest.com.
Sleep Group Solutions also offers an iPhone app screener for sleep apnea. The MSleepTEST application records your bedtime partners snoring, then uploads the sound bite to a server. The audio clip is sent to a local office trained in sleep medicine to see if an appointment is necessary. Between MSleepTest and SleepTest.com its easier than ever to screen for sleep apnea. Log on and take the test, it may be the most important test you’ve ever taken.