Information for Clinicians

In Fall, 2021, the Medical Service’s Commission’s Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, completed work on two important documents to assist referring practitioners seeking to order an appropriate diagnostic test for suspected Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Provincial Standard Home Sleep Apnea Testing Requisition

The provincial standard Home Sleep Apnea Testing (HSAT) requisition, accessible here, is one of several direct outcomes of the Ministry’s detailed review of the service delivery environment for the provision of sleep diagnostics in British Columbia. It features a Diagnostic/Referral Decision Pathway to help ensure appropriate referrals and is required for all practitioner referrals to HSAT facilities.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Assessment and Management in Adults Clinical Guideline

The OSA: Assessment and Management in Adults Guideline provides important detail for assessing and managing OSA, the most prevalent of all sleep disorders.

Who Can Order a Home Sleep Apnea Test?

Only authorized health professionals are permitted to submit referrals for Level III HSAT studies. Authorized health professionals are limited to:

• Registrants of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (Family and Specialist Physicians) 
• Nurse practitioners registered with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives, and 
• Naturopathic physicians registered with the College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC.
  • Note: when an HSAT is ordered by a Naturopath, the test is not covered by the Medical Services Plan. Other restrictions also apply. For more details, see Update to authorized health professionals permitted to submit HSAT referrals (PDF, 289KB).

HSAT Re-testing

Some extended health providers have, at times, required patients previously diagnosed with OSA to obtain a new positive diagnostic test to be eligible for reimbursement for a replacement sleep disorder breathing device, such as a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.

In June 2022, the Medical Services Commission wrote to all known extended health insurance providers operating in British Columbia and informed them that, as OSA is a chronic condition, any requirement to retest previously diagnosed patients for the purpose of replacement device coverage was contrary to best clinical practices and not insured by the Medical Services Plan (for both retesting and for referrals related to retesting). To see the full text of the Commission’s letter, click here (PDF, 99KB).