Phone consultation
Phone consultations will be done remotely, so you do not need to come into the clinic for this consultation. It can be taken from a landline or mobile phone. If you would prefer to come into one of our clinics for your consultation, you can book an in-person consultation.
Before your phone consultation
You will be sent a medical questionnaire to complete before your appointment. You will also need to prepare a list of medications you are currently taking.
During your phone consultation
During the phone consultation, the sleep specialist will ask you about your symptoms, how long they have affected you, and whether anything makes them better or worse. The specialist will review your medical questionnaire and assess your general health. This will help to determine the nature and severity of the medical problem.
After your phone consultation
Following your phone consultation, the doctor will provide a diagnosis. Depending on the diagnosis, the patient may be referred for an in-clinic nasofibroscopy examination to determine any potential apnea or other sleep disorders. Nasofibroscopy is a painless examination to visually explore the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx.
If a sleep disorder is detected, the patient will receive a prescription for an apnea screening test.
Sleep Study
Tests for obstructive sleep apnea are usually carried out at home. You can come to the clinic to collect the monitoring equipment and return it the following day.
If you need to have an in-lab sleep study, you will need to be prepared to stay overnight at the Dorma Sleep Lab. Please read the information you are given carefully to ensure you are prepared for the test. You will be advised of the requirements for your specific test when your study is scheduled.
Respiratory polygraphy (Level 3 sleep study)
If the sleep specialist suspects that you may have sleep apnea, you may be referred for respiratory polygraphy. This is an overnight test where sensors are attached to your body to monitor your breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate, sleep position and activity throughout the night.
You will come in to the clinic to collect the equipment, wear it at home, and return it the following morning. This video explains what the test involves and how to set-up the equipment.
Polysomnography (Level 1 sleep study)
For more complex sleep complaints, polysomnography is sometimes recommended. This is a sophisticated test involving measurement of brain activity (EEG) via small sensors attached to the scalp. Additional sensors will be placed over the body. These sensors allow us to tell whether you are asleep or awake and to determine the depth and quality of your sleep. For this test, you will spend the night at the Dorma Sleep Lab. You can return to your normal routine as soon as the tests are finished. The sleep study procedure is non-invasive.
After the sleep study
A follow-up appointment will be scheduled to discuss your results and any recommended treatment and/or routine changes required.
If test results indicate that you may be a candidate for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, we will invite you to come to the clinic so that we can show you how to use a CPAP machine and discuss which model is the best for you. Once you have had been prescribed CPAP treatment, you will be followed by a sleep specialist.
Most CPAP follow-up appointments can be completed over the phone. However, if this is not possible or if there is a problem with the CPAP machine, we may ask you to come to the clinic.