P135 An audit investigating the length of time from GP referral to diagnostic polysomnography testing in an Australian tertiary center

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/Aim Obstructive sleep apnoea is increasingly prevalent, with shorter referral to treatment time being associated with improved outcomes. Current studies describe a mean wait-time from initial referral to first outpatient review of 88 days, and from first review to diagnostic polysomnography of 123 days. This quality assurance initiative assessed how our sleep disorders centre in an Australian tertiary hospital compared to existing literature, and attempted to verify how triaging affected wait-time. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing diagnostic polysomnography from 1st January 2019 to 30th June 2021. Time from initial referral to first clinic review, plus time from initial review to polysomnography, were recorded. Patient demographics and triage category of requested polysomnography were noted. Microsoft Excel was used to collect data and derive descriptive statistics. Results 380 patients (202-male, 178-female) were included. 251 GP referrals were received. 112 patients were triaged for polysomnography within 30 days of initial review (category 4), 204 patients were triaged within 90 days (category 5), and 44 patients were non-urgent (category 6). Mean number of days between initial referral and first review was 136.13 days. Mean number of days between first review and polysomnography was 28.95 days in category 4, 93.38 days in category 5, and 180 days in category 6. Conclusion Time from initial referral to initial review appeared longer in this study compared to published standards. However, time from initial review to polysomnography appeared shorter. Adjusting patient triaging and/or our ability to see new referrals sooner is required to match the published standards.