1183 Board-certified Sleep Medicine Physicians See A Greater Proportion Of Complex Sleep Patients Than Non-specialist Providers. (27th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jobe, S L; Albrecht, J S; Scharf, S M; Johnson, A M; Parthasarathy, S; Wickwire, E M
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 43(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A452
• Page End: A452
• Publication Date: 2020-05-27
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.1177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Despite a growing literature regarding the impact of board-certification in sleep medicine, little is known about the complexity of patients seen by board-certified sleep medicine physicians (BCSMPs) relative to non-specialists. To address this gap, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the differences in sleep complaints among Medicare beneficiaries seen by BCSMPs relative to individuals seen by non-specialists. Methods: Our data source was a random 5% sample of Medicare administrative claims data from 2006-2013. Sleep disorders were operationalized using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Descriptive analyses were performed to estimate the number of sleep disorder diagnoses patients received by provider status. BCSMPs were identified using a cross-matching procedure based on National Provider Identifier (NPI). Results: A total of 57, 209 Medicare beneficiaries received a sleep disorder diagnosis between 2006-2013. Of these, only 2.2% were seen by BCSMPs. Relative to beneficiaries seen by non-specialists, those seen by BCSMPs were more likely to be diagnosed with more than one sleep disorder (p<0.001). Specifically, 91.0% of individuals seen by non-specialists received only one sleep disorder diagnosis, whereas 75.9% of individuals seen by BCSMPs received only one sleep disorder diagnosis. Among beneficiaries seen by non-specialists, the most common sleep disorders were insomnia (48.2%; n=26, 967), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; 31.4%; n=17, 554), and restless legs syndrome (8.7%; n=4, 871). Among those seen by BCSMPs, the most common sleep disorders were OSA, (70.4%; n=901), sleep apnea with hypersomnia (16.5%; n=211), and insomnia (11.7%; n=150). Conclusion: BCSMPs see more complex sleep patients than do non-specialists. These results suggest the possibility that more complex patients are referred for sleep specialty care. Further, these results demonstrate the value of board certification in sleep medicine in caring for complex sleep patients. Support: This research was supported by an AASM Strategic Research Award from the AASM Foundation to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (PI: EMW).