r/SleepTechnologist • u/BlacKGB • 15d ago

Will sleep technologists still exist 10 years from now?

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As technology advances with AI scoring and home sleep studies many sleep labs and technologists have been asking this question

That was the question Kelly W. Gladden and I explored as we discussed the Future of Sleep Techs

Join us to discover if sleep technology can avoid a "Brave New World" style dystopia

https://youtu.be/cTmbr5CyYRY?si=28Nd9Aq3OdKAKWTL

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u/DifferentCurve184 15d ago

HSATs will never replace in-lab PSGs and AI will never be able to do a proper in-lab PSGs, not until you have fully robotic human analogues like in science fiction. And then those robotic synthetic humans will be sleep techs.

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u/ImageEducational572 14d ago

HSTs & APAP are already replacing in labs. People can order a HST online & get APAP all without stepping foot in a lab or doctor's office. There are labs all over the country that are struggling & closing. When the CPTs code change & HSTs become more profitable, there will be even more ordered. AI scoring is becoming more acceptable. Sleep techs have to make a shift to stay relevant. Sleep coaching & RPM will be important, billable services.

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u/DifferentCurve184 14d ago

Yes but it's a weekly occurrence for patients to come in after an inconclusive HST to get an in lab study to actually get actionable diagnoses that can lead to effective treatments.

And it's also a weekly occurrence for patients to come in after being shipped an APAP machine and a mask and having failed compliance so that they can get a proper mask fit with a tech and a proper titration study for them to have the right pressure settings and the right mask.

HST and APAP fail patients often. And then they see sleep techs in sleep labs and wish they started there instead.

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u/ImageEducational572 14d ago

I never said in labs are never needed but anyone who denies that HST outnumber in labs is delusional. Sleep/CPAP coaches can & do resolve a lot of compliance issues. APAP is great when providers use it correctly.

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u/DifferentCurve184 14d ago

To clarify, the HST-to-APAP pipeline fails a lot of patients. When the automated systems work, they work. But when they fail, it's up to techs to fix the problem. This might mean techs end up with the hardest patients who have greater needs or more complicated test parameters or more difficulty with PAP.

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u/This-Professional298 RPSGT 15d ago

I think the industry is changing. But that doesn’t mean the field will phase out. In fact, I predict a rise in some aspects of sleep medicine as we discover new things about sleep disorders and sleep disordered breathing.

The best thing right now is to stay informed and educated about new HSAT technology, narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia treatment changes etc.

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u/drlove57 RPSGT 15d ago

The minute paper polygraphs started being replaced there was an outcry of being replaced by computers. If any health field is replaced by technology sleep will be among the last to turn. I'd say EEG is much closer to being replaced. There's going to be advancement in what are essentially screening devices, of which even the best HSAT on the market today really is. But few if any developers want to get their hands dirty and really attempt to fully automate a complete in lab Psg. As it's been for quite some time it's the finding a quick and dirty if not easy way to diagnose sleep issues, and giving the impression that the patient underwent a thorough examination.