08/02/2025
Hospital vs. Home Sleep Studies: Insights from NAPCON Panel Discussion
At the prestigious NAPCON conference, I had the opportunity to participate in an engaging panel discussion on the evolving landscape of sleep studies—comparing hospital-based polysomnography ( ) with home sleep apnea testing ( ). The session brought together experts in sleep medicine to examine the benefits, limitations, and future directions of both approaches.
Key Discussion Points:
1. Accuracy & Diagnostic Value
• Hospital-based sleep studies remain the gold standard for diagnosing complex sleep disorders, providing comprehensive data on multiple physiological parameters.
• Home sleep studies, though limited in scope, offer a cost-effective and accessible alternative for screening obstructive sleep apnea ( ).
2. Patient Comfort & Accessibility
• HSAT allows patients to sleep in a familiar environment, reducing anxiety and improving compliance.
• However, hospital studies provide real-time monitoring and intervention in case of severe events, which home studies lack.
3. Cost & Healthcare Burden
• HSAT is more affordable and scalable, reducing the burden on healthcare infrastructure, especially in resource-limited settings.
• But for patients with comorbidities or unclear symptoms, hospital-based PSG is necessary to avoid misdiagnosis.
4. Technology & Future Trends
• The integration of AI and wearable technology is bridging the gap between HSAT and PSG, enhancing the accuracy of home-based diagnostics.
• Future research should focus on refining home-based monitoring tools to improve diagnostic reliability.
Conclusion
The discussion reinforced the need for a balanced approach—leveraging HSAT for initial screening while ensuring that complex cases are managed in hospital settings. As technology advances, hybrid models combining home-based monitoring with periodic in-lab assessments may become the new standard in sleep medicine.
