| Welcome
to the California Center for Sleep Disorders
Introduction
You have been
referred to or come yourself to the CCSD for the evaluation of
a possible sleep disorder. Certain symptoms may have lead to this
with the most common being:
For details
on the possible meaning of these symptoms please go to the linked
areas. Sleep disorders are extremely common and can have a profound
effect on your health and daytime function. Fortunately we now
have many tools to help identify what your problem is and then
to help treat you. Our sleep center is experienced in the evaluation
and treatment of such problems. Our physicians have chosen to
get special training in the field of sleep disorders medicine.
To aid them in their efforts to help you, we need your cooperation
in giving us the information we need to understand your particular
problem.
Screening
Tools
Prior to your
first visit there are two questionnaires you should complete.
They will help you if you are unclear about what type of disorder
you have or if you even question whether you have a problem at
all. They will also help us understand the nature of your problem.
The first is a Self Assessment
Test. This will focus on specific signs and symptoms of sleep
disorders and will help you understand better what concerns your
referring physician had. Many people are surprisingly unaware
of how much a sleep disorder has impacted them and of how sleepy
they actually are. They may think that daytime sleepiness is normal.
You can get an idea about this by taking another simple test,
the Epworth Sleepiness Test.
This is a very well accepted test to help recognize sleepiness
and rank its severity. The scores will range from 0 to 24, with
anything above 8 indicating some degree of excessive daytime sleepiness.
These tests can be completed on the internet or in a form you
can print or receive from us.
Medical History
To help us
evaluate your sleep problem we need a picture of your overall
health, including a complete list of any medications you are taking.
We have a Medical History form as well as a Medication Log. It
is extremely important that the physician evaluating you be aware
of all the medications your are taking. You should list prescription
and non-prescription medications. There will be some very specific
questions about your sleep. There is no right or wrong answer
to most questions, just try and give us a picture of your situation.
This should be completed prior to your arrival for your initial
evaluation, either over the internet or by hand.
At the time
of your consultation, the staff physician you are seeing will
review this history as well as your Self Assessment and Epworth
tests. He or she will focus on specific questions about your sleep.
It is often helpful to have kept a Sleep Diary for a week or two
before your visit. This will serve as a further guide to the evaluation
and can also be completed over the internet or by hand in a diary
you can print or receive from us. It can be very helpful to have
your bed partner accompany you to your appointment. If you do
not have a regular bed partner, another person who lives with
you or visits frequently may be able to complete the questionnaire.
If it is not possible for your partner to attend, make sure he
or she completes the Bed Partner Questionnaire on line
or in print for you to bring to your appointment. In addition,
the sleep specialist may need to speak to your bed partner at
another time.
Scheduling
Your Appointment
You can schedule
your appointment by calling the sleep center at 800-441-8588 and
speaking to the receptionist. He or she will be able to schedule
your appointment at all of the centers locations and to inform
you of which doctor is available. It is extremely helpful if
you have already pre-registered on line. If you have not already
provided insurance information on line you will be asked to provide
basic information at this time. Please have your insurance card
with you when you call. If you have not been referred by your
family physician we will also want to know his or her name at
that time, as it is very important they be kept informed of the
results of your evaluation. Please remember that because the physician
has committed this time to you, failure to keep your appointment
will result in a charge that will not be covered by your insurance.
Before your appointment is considered final, we will need to confirm
your insurance coverage and determine if a referral form and pre-approval
for your evaluation is required. This protects you from any unexpected
out of pocket expense. If a referral form is required we will
have to receive it prior to your visit or you will have to bring
it with you to the visit or we will be unable to see you at that
time.
Insurance
Coverage
The evaluation
of sleep disorders is now accepted as an important medical need
and most insurance cover both the consultation, and when appropriate,
an overnight sleep study. However, there may be requirements for
pre-authorization and you may need to have a referral form from
your referring physician or primary care physician. The sleep
center staff will help you determine what your coverage is and
exactly what you will need for your visit. In many cases this
can be accomplished electronically over the internet. Any uncovered
portion of the consultation fee or co-payment will be due at the
time of your visit.
Getting to the Sleep Center
Directions
to the sleep center are available on line or can be mailed or
faxed to you prior to your visit. Please arrive a few minutes
early to allow for registration. Again, please remember that if
a referral form is required you will need to bring it with you
or the physician will be unable to see you.
Your First
Appointment
Your first
visit is usually to have a full consultation with one of the sleep
center specialists. The physician you will see has had special
training in the evaluation of sleep disorders. You should feel
free to ask them about their training and experience. They will
review your history, focusing on your possible sleep disorder.
A brief physical examination, usually centered on your upper airway
(nose and throat) may also be performed. Their recommendations
will then be based on the findings from your history, physical
exam and the forms you have completed. In addition, information
from a bed partner can be very helpful, as some patients are unaware
of events occurring during sleep. This may lead to specific recommendations
about modifying your sleep pattern, for medications if appropriate
or for an overnight sleep study (polysomnogram)
to help identify your problem and determine the nature and
severity of your sleep problem.
Follow-Up
Appointments
In some cases
a single visit is all that is required. If another office visit
is recommended by the physician you should make your appointment
before leaving. If a sleep study is recommended, you will be asked
to schedule this and then plan on a follow-up visit to discuss
the results of this study approximately 2-3 weeks after the study
is performed. This allows time for the mass of information collected
the night of the study to be analyzed and interpreted by the physician.
Before arranging the overnight study our staff will confirm insurance
coverage and obtain approval if required by your insurance company.
This process sometimes leads to delays before you can be scheduled
but is out of our control. Once completed, copies of the study
results will also be sent to your family and referring physician.
Additional
Information
We hope your
visit to the California Center for Sleep Disorders will be helpful
to you. If you have additional questions, please visit the other
locations on this web site, including our section on frequently
asked questions at the end of each section.
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