To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: APSS: A Simple Question Format Aids in Pediatric Sleep Screening URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1FDB4A.htm Doctor's Guide June 11, 2001
By W. A. Thomasson Special to DG News CHICAGO, IL -- June 11, 2001 -- A few simple questions can greatly improve the efficiency with which pediatricians obtain sleep data, a study presented Friday (June 8) at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies indicates. The questionnaire is known as BEARS for its five component questions: Bedtime issues, Excessive daytime sleepiness, Awakenings at night or in the early morning, Regularity and duration of sleep, and Snoring.
The study, reported by Judith Owens, MD, MPH, and Victoria Dulzell, MD, both of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, examined use of BEARS in a resident well-child clinic where previously only a single, general question regarding sleep had been used. With 201 children included, each seen both before and after the questionnaire was instituted, results showed that the number of charts containing information about sleep increased from 88.6 percent to 98.5 percent. What's more, the number of children in whom bedtime issues were identified increased from 5.5 percent 16 percent -- a statistically significant difference. There were also increases in the number of children identified as having problems in the other four areas, although only snoring reached statistical significance.
It is significant that these improvements were obtained in a setting where at least one sleep-related question was already being asked. "We just completed a survey," Dr. Owens told DG News, "in which we sent out questionnaires to more than 600 community-based pediatricians in the New England area. And the vast majority of pediatricians were not asking any screening questions about sleep whatsoever."
Dr. Owens is especially concerned that pediatricians are not asking questions about snoring, which may indicate sleep apnea. "For many of the behavioral sleep disorders," she says, "parents will volunteer information. But I think that most parents don't identify snoring in kids as being something to be concerned about. And if the pediatrician doesn't ask, the question doesn't come up."
Dr. Owens added that the BEARS is currently being validated in the university's pediatric sleep disorders clinic to make sure that it actually does pick up kids with sleep problems. "But," she said, "this [study] shows that you get a lot more information than you ordinarily would. And it is acceptable to the pediatrician - our residents really liked this instrument and found it really easy to use." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.