{
  "abstract": "Introduction Home cardiorespiratory polygraphy is routinely used to diagnose sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Whilst polysomnography (PSG) is recognised as the gold standard testing method 1 to diagnose disorders of breathing in sleep, home cardiorespiratory polygraphy is a first line diagnostic test for SDB.2 In November 2024, NHS England (NHSE) released the document, ‘Approaches to Addressing Sleep Services Waiting Times’. Our sleep service had increased capacity for the performance of home cardiorespiratory polygraphy to meet demand however as a consequence reporting time significantly increased. We aimed to implement a quality improvement programme (QIP) with the aim to develop a process that enabled ‘real-time’ analysis and reporting of home cardiorespiratory polygraphy.Methods Theory of constraints was utilised to identify the most significant limiting factor for prolonged analysis and reporting time. Rota allocation and dedicated reporting time were identified as possible modification limiting factors. A new sleep diagnostic pathway was implemented with protected reporting sleep. At the same time, all new sleep studies were transitioned to a new pathway of ‘real-time’ analysis with the intent that all sleep studies were analysed and reported within 48 hours. A maximum of 18 sleep studies could be provide to patients per a day. Plan, Do, Study and Act (PDSA) cycles were completed daily.Results In pre-QIP there were a total of 261 sleep studies with a mean reporting time of 10 weeks. In the post-QIP this had reduced to 12 studies with a mean reporting time of 0.28 weeks ( figure 1). Overall, there was a reduction in mean analysis time from 41.8 days to 2.5 days. The sleep study backlog was completed within 12 working days.Conclusion Our QIP demonstrates the clinical significance of applying QIP methodology to NHS practices, that in addition to robust strategic leadership and partnership working, can deliver positive change. Our QIP has enabled our service to ensure that the right patient at the right time has access to diagnostic and therapeutic sleep medicine as well as reducing overall wait times from referral to diagnosis and referral to treatment.Abstract P20 Figure 1SPC chart to show the activity around analysis of CRP pre QIP and post QIP implementation. The graph shows the number of studies analysed each day (y-axis), against dates of analysis (x-axis). The volume of studies plotted represents those analysed within the 48 hours window, of which none waited longer than 48 hours for analysisReferences AASM NICE",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Uhcw NHS Trust, Walsgrave, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Trish Matharu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Uhcw NHS Trust, Walsgrave, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Joanna Shakespeare"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Uhcw NHS Trust, Walsgrave, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Edward Parkes"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P20 Implementation of a quality improvement process (QIP) to improve sleep study analysis waiting times",
  "uid": "4e6d1dad-9839-57c9-90cb-e2c6db840a7b"
}