Volume 11 | No. 1 | Jan / Feb 2023 query_builder 1 minute

Home sleep apnea testing: quality control program

Diagnostic Accreditation Program

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The Diagnostic Accreditation Program (DAP) continues to grow the home sleep apnea testing program (HSAT) with development of the HSAT quality control (QC) program.

The intent of the HSAT QC program is to monitor facility performance on annual basis in addition to the four-year on-site assessments. 

There are several aspects of performance that are monitored through this program: 

  • medical test interpretation
  • technical report components
  • interscorer reliability for registered polysomnography technologists

The criteria being assessed are represented in the DAP HSAT accreditation standards, and the grading system has been designed to provide constructive feedback to support continuous quality improvement in the diagnosis of sleep disorders.

The HSAT QC program has been designed with experts in sleep medicine and circulated to all HSAT facilities in the province for review. Feedback from these partners has been incorporated into the program. The HSAT QC program was approved by DAP Committee in November 2022.

The HSAT QC program materials will be published on the College’s website in early 2023. HSAT organizations will be enrolled in the QC program one year after their first on-site assessment. Data will be submitted annually for review by sleep medicine physicians. Educational webinars will be provided to HSAT facilities prior to implementation in the fall of 2023.