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   John Samuels, Jane Gysin,
Stuart Little and Paul Rafferty
Department of Respiratory Medicine,
NHS Dumfries and Galloway,
Dumfries, United Kingdom½
Kingdom½
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Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary serves a

population of 150,000.
Remote and rural region covering 6,500 square km
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ð00 new referrals for assessment annually
> 50% of referrals already addressed as home sleep studies
for those fit and able to travel
Distance to hospital major limiting factor in conducting
home sleep studies
Many cancellations as result of demands for emergency
care beds
Scottish government waiting targets difficult to achieve
with current inpatient bed capacity
Innovative ways sought to increase number of out patient
diagnostic studies to meet targets


 


 

 

Screen all referrals to determine need for

inpatient investigation
Inpatient studies only offered to those
unsuitable for outpatient study
Those living distant from hospital and unable
to travel offered prepaid hotel accommodation
Patient satisfaction questionnaire utilised to
seek users views of service
 Results
To date:
20 patients have used hotel
service
19 studies have been technically
satisfactory
Service users report a positive
experience from undergoing the
study in a hotel environment
Satisfactory service and preferable
to inpatient investigation
 °


ð0 service users asked to complete satisfaction
survey regarding out patient sleep diagnostic
service
15 home studies conducted and all technically
satisfactory
15 hotel studies were conducted and all but
one technically satisfactory
Users views to date positive and would prefer
home / hotel sleep study to hospital stay
£ 
  
  
 

To date in 2007 - 20 hotel sleep studies has

cost our organisation approximately ¼1,600
The equivalent number of inpatient study costs
amount to ¼9,000
This amounts to a saving of ¼7,400 in bed days
A hotel study costs approximately 20% of a
hospital inpatient study
 £  
utpatient sleep studies performed in a local
hotel:

Appear an acceptable approach for the remote

and rural environment
Reducing impact on limited inpatient resources
Result in cost savings for health care providers