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HowtoChooseaSleepDoctor

•  QualificationsforSleepPhysician•  HowtoFindaSleepPhysician•  HowtoAssessaNewSleepPhysician•  WhattoExpectduringYourVisit

•  HowtoPreparefortheAppointment

•  WhattoExpectfromYourPhysician

•  WhatCanGoWrong

QualificationsforaPhysician

•  Education– Undergraduatebachelordegree– MedicalDegree•  MD(DoctorofMedicine)

•  DO(DoctorofOsteopathy)

QualificationsforaPhysician

•  PostgraduateTraining– Residency(3-4years)•  Anesthesiology•  FamilyMedicine

•  InternalMedicine

•  Neurology•  Pediatrics•  Psychiatry•  Otolaryngology

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QualificationsforaPhysician

– Qualificationsdeterminedbystateboards•  License•  Prescribing

– Prescribingprivilegesdeterminedbyfederalgovernment•  FoodandDrugAdministration

QualificationsforaSleepPhysician

•  PostgraduateTraining– Fellowship(1-2years)•  SleepMedicine

QualificationsforSleepPhysician•  BoardCertification– PrimarySpecialty

– SleepMedicine

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ExpertiseinNarcolepsy•  Associations– AmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine

– NarcolepsyNetwork•  Consumerwebsites

ExpertiseinNarcolepsy

•  REMS(RiskEvaluationandMitigationStrategies)program– TheFDAcanrequireaRiskEvaluationandMitigationStrategy(REMS)frommanufacturerstoensurethatthebenefitsofadrugorbiologicalproductoutweighitsrisks.

•  XyremREMSprogram– https://www.xyrem.com

HowtoFindaSleepPhysician

•  NarcolepsyNetwork–  http://narcolepsynetwork.org/about-us/professional-members-list/

•  NarcolepsyLink–  http://www.narcolepsylink.com/find-a-sleep-specialist/

•  FindasleepCenter–  http://www.sleepeducation.com/find-a-facility

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HowtoFindaSleepPhysician•  NationalSleepFoundation– https://sleepfoundation.org/find-sleep-professional

•  Localsupportgroups• Wordofmouth

http://www.narcolepsylink.com/find-a-sleep-specialist/

Glenview,IL60025,UnitedStates

HowtoAssessaNewPhysician•  RedFlags– Hasthedoctoreverbeensuedformalpracticeorhaveanyoutstandinglegalissues?(StateMedicalBoardwebsite)

– Whenyoucalltomakeanappointmentforyourfirstvisit,areyoudirectedtoaliveperson,notamachine?

–  Isthewaitingroompacked?

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HowtoAssessaNewPhysician•  RedFlags– Doesthedoctorwanttoprescribemedicationsbeforeyouevengetoutallyoursymptoms?

–  Ifyouchoosenottotakethatdrugthatthedoctorwantstoprescribe,dotheygetupset,usescaretactics,orrefusetoseeyouagain?

– Areyoutoldyoucannotcommunicatedirectlywiththedoctor?

HowtoAssessaNewPhysician•  Priortovisit/Scheduling– Easeofmakinganappointment

– Cleardirectionsonwhattobring– Informationaboutinsurancecoverage

– Directionsonlocation/parking

HowtoAssessaNewPhysician

•  Arrival– Parking– Easeoffindingoffice– Safety– Easeofcheckingin– Waittime

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HowtoAssessaNewPhysician

•  DoestheDoctorintroducehim/herself,greetyoubyname,andbehavepolitely,andinan“unrushed”manner?

•  DoestheDoctorwashhis/herhandswhentheyentertheroom?

•  Whenyouaredescribingyoursymptoms,isthedoctorengagedinwhatyouaresaying?

•  Whenyoumentionanarticlethatyoureadontheinternetormagazine,isthedoctorwillingtoacknowledgetheinformation?

HowtoAssessaNewPhysician

•  Ifthereisaneedtoordertests,aretheyexplainedindetailgivingthereasonwhythetestisbeingperformed,anysideeffects,andwhenyoushouldgettheresults?

•  Areyoucontactedwithallyourtestresults,whethertheyarenormalornot?

HowtoAssessaNewPhysicianResources

•  Healthcareconsumersites

•  Generalconsumersites

•  StateMedicalAssociations

•  CertifyingBodies•  Other

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HowtoAssessaNewPhysician

HowtoAssessaNewPhysician•  StateMedicalBoards–  https://www.fsmb.org/contact-a-state-medical-board/CertifyingBodies

– AmericanBoardofMedicalSubspecialties•  http://www.abms.org

– AmericanBoardofSleepMedicine•  http://www.absm.org/listing.aspx

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WhattoExpectduringYourVisit•  Evaluation– Questionnaires– History– Examination

WhattoExpectduringYourVisit•  Historyofcondition– Comprehensivesleephistory– Questionsregardingotherpotentialsleepproblems

•  Othermedicalconditions– Generalmedicalconditions– Operations– Hospitalizations

WhattoExpectfromYourVisit

•  Medications– Present– Past

•  Allergies•  Socialhistory

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WhattoExpectfromYourVisit

•  Familyhistory– Medical

– Sleep•  Surveyofothersymptoms(Reviewofsystems)

WhattoExpectfromYourVisit

•  Examination– Vitalsigns– Generalphysical– Neurological

WhattoExpectfromYourVisit

•  Discussionoffindings•  Furthertestingifneeded•  Therapeuticplan•  Followup

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WhattoExpectfromYourVisit

•  Possibletesting– Sleepstudies• Overnightsleepstudy(nocturnalpolysomnogram)

• Daytimenapstudy(multiplesleeplatencytest)

– Bloodtests– Urinetesting

WhattoExpectfromYourVisit

•  Possibletesting– Brainscans• CTscan• MRI

– Spinaltap

HowtoPreparefortheAppointment

•  Trytoprovidepreviousrecords:– Evaluations– Tests– Bettertobringrecords– Ifmailed(orsentelectronically)callpriortotheappointmenttoconfirmtheywerereceived

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HowtoPreparefortheAppointment

•  Knowthelengthoftheappointment.

•  Haveaclearideaofwhatyouwanttoaccomplish.

•  Havequestionspreparedinadvance.

HowtoPreparefortheAppointment

•  GathertheRightInformation.

•  IdentifyYourSymptoms.

•  ResearchYourSymptoms.

•  TakeaHealthAssessment.

EpworthSleepinessScaleandSwissNarcolepsyScale.

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WhattoExpectfromYourPhysician

•  Professionalism– Knowledge– Skills– Conduct–  Judgment

– Respect

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WhattoExpectfromYourPhysician

•  Communication

•  Confirmationthatyouunderstandandagreewiththeevaluation,testing,andtherapy

•  Advocacy•  Timelyfollowupvisits

WhattoExpectfromYourPhysician

• Availability– Physician• Telephone• Email

WhattoExpectfromYourPhysician

• Welltrainedstaff– PhysicianAssistants– NursePractitioners– Registerednurses– Medicalassistants

– Secretaries

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WhatifThingsGoWrong•  Youdon'tmesh.

•  Doctordoesn'trespectyourtime.

•  Doctorkeepsyouinthedark.•  Doctordoesn'tlisten.

Whatifthingsgowrong

•  Theofficestaffisunprofessional•  Youdon'tfeelcomfortablewiththeDoctor

•  Doctordoesn'tcoordinatewithotherdoctors

•  Doctorisunreachable.•  Doctorisrudeorcondescending.

Whatifthingsgowrong•  Readmoreat:– U.S.News&WorldReport•  http://forum.facmedicine.com/threads/9-signs-of-bad-doctor.17224/

– BadDoctorDatabase•  http://baddoctordatabase.tumblr.com

– TheSavvySister•  https://sisterearthorganics.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/when-good-doctors-go-bad-12-way-to-tell/

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https://www.fsmb.org/contact-a-state-medical-board/

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•  Findingasleepphysicianmaybetimeconsuming,butitisworththeeffort•  Resourcesareavailabletofindandassesssleepphysicals•  Yourphysicianshouldbeprofessional,respectful,available,andshouldcommunicatewell

tfreedom@northshore.org

•  https://sleepfoundation.org/narcolepsy/content/finding-narcolepsy-doctor

•  https://www.wakeupnarcolepsy.org/wp-content/uploads/WUN-AWAKEN-Survey-Fact-Sheet.pdf

•  http://narcolepsynetwork.org/about-us/professional-members-list/

•  http://www.narcolepsylink.com/find-a-sleep-specialist/

•  http://www.sleepeducation.com/find-a-facility•  https://www.sleepfoundation.org•  http://forum.facmedicine.com/threads/9-signs-of-

bad-doctor.17224/•  https://www.fsmb.org/contact-a-state-medical-

board/http://www.abms.org•  http://www.absm.org/listing.aspx•  http://baddoctordatabase.tumblr.com•  https://sisterearthorganics.wordpress.com/

2011/04/14/when-good-doctors-go-bad-12-way-to-tell/

•  https://www.xyrem.com