Sleep studies - MBS item (12208)

The following MBS item is included in this clinical category.

12208
Overnight investigation, for sleep apnoea for at least 8 hours, for a patient aged 18 years or more, if: (a) a qualified adult sleep medicine practitioner or consultant respiratory physician has determined that the investigation is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of a sleep disorder; and (b) a sleep technician is in continuous attendance under the supervision of a qualified adult sleep medicine practitioner; and (c) there is continuous monitoring and recording, in accordance with current professional guidelines, of the following measures: (i) airflow; (ii) continuous EMG; (iii) anterior tibial EMG; (iv) continuous ECG; (v) continuous EEG; (vi) EOG; (vii) oxygen saturation; (viii) respiratory movement (chest and abdomen); (ix) position; and (d) polygraphic records are: (i) analysed (for assessment of sleep stage, arousals, respiratory events, cardiac abnormalities and limb movements) with manual scoring, or manual correction of computerised scoring in epochs of not more than 1 minute; and (ii) stored for interpretation and preparation of a report; and (e) interpretation and preparation of a permanent report is provided by a qualified adult sleep medicine practitioner with personal direct review of raw data from the original recording of polygraphic data from the patient; and (f) a further investigation is indicated in the same 12 month period to which item 12203 applies to a service for the patient because insufficient sleep was acquired, as evidenced by a sleep efficiency of 25% or less, during the previous investigation to which that item applied; and (g) the investigation is not provided to the patient on the same occasion that a service mentioned in any of items 11000, 11003, 11004, 11005, 11503, 11704, 11705, 11707, 11713, 11714, 11716, 11717, 11723, 11735 or 12250 is provided to the patient Applicable only once in any 12 month period