In the transportation industry, driver fatigue can be a very serious problem. It's a 24-hour-a-day industry that never stops. With the high turnover that already exists in the industry, having drivers sidelined for sleep tests is costly to all involved. Much of driver fatigue is attributed to obstructive sleep apnea. However, traditional methods to diagnose and then subsequently treat this are cumbersome and time-consuming. 

With traditional sleep studies, the average time for an initial appointment with a doctor, the standard sleep lab tests done, and finally, a diagnosis and treatment can take over three months from start to finish. In the transportation industry, this is precious time that an employer cannot afford to lose. To further complicate matters, the standard protocol for treating obstructive sleep apnea requires a complete lifestyle change. Many patients refuse to wear the C-PAP device that is so commonly required, leaving the sleep apnea untreated and the patient fatigued and at risk of falling asleep behind the wheel.

Statistics show that those with unmanaged sleep apnea are 2.9 times more likely to cause a workplace accident. They also cost employers 3.6 times more in medical and pharmacy costs, and incur over 200% more sick days. Many with obstructive sleep apnea can also have Type II diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and obesity.

Is there a better way to manage sleep apnea for those in the transportation industry?

There are companies that are now making testing and treatment much easier. VirtuOx is one such company, providing a modern sleep-monitoring test that can be done at home or even in the cab of a truck. Many of the sleep tests conducted in a lab can be difficult because people don't sleep well in a new setting with the number of attachments required in a sleep study. This portable testing option allows the person to be tested in their normal sleep environment, providing a much more accurate picture of what really happens to their body while they sleep.

VirtuOx offers several portable systems to test for sleep apnea, all of which are easy and convenient. These modern day devices have the advantage of being able to test a large number of people at one time, and provide a diagnosis in 12-18 hours and immediate treatment for the driver.

Enabling testing in this manner is much more economical than going to a sleep lab for a night and will have the driver back to work in a much quicker time frame, thereby saving the employer even more money in the long run.