From the Guidelines
The estimated cost of operating a 4-bed polysomnography (PSG) sleep laboratory is approximately $500,000 to $1 million per year. This estimate includes essential expenses such as:
- Equipment: $200,000-$400,000 for initial setup (polysomnography machines, beds, monitors)
- Staffing: $250,000-$400,000 annually (sleep technicians, physicians, administrative staff)
- Facility costs: $50,000-$100,000 annually (rent, utilities, maintenance)
- Supplies: $20,000-$40,000 annually (electrodes, sensors, cleaning materials)
- Software and data management: $10,000-$30,000 annually According to 1, the most expensive strategy for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders is in-lab PSG with pulmonologist follow-up, with a cost of 849 Euros per patient. In contrast, portable sleep studies with home nurse follow-up are significantly less expensive, with a cost of 590 Euros per patient. To optimize operations, consider:
- Running studies 7 nights a week to maximize utilization
- Offering daytime services like CPAP clinics to generate additional revenue
- Investing in high-quality equipment to reduce maintenance costs long-term
- Training staff in multiple roles to improve efficiency The high cost is justified by the specialized nature of sleep studies, which require sophisticated equipment and trained personnel to accurately diagnose and treat sleep disorders, ultimately improving patient health outcomes and quality of life.
From the Research
Estimated Cost of Operating a 4-Bed Polysomnography (PSG) Sleep Laboratory
- The estimated cost of operating a PSG sleep laboratory is not directly provided in the given studies. However, the costs of in-lab polysomnography studies are mentioned in some studies:
- A study from 2000 2 reports an average cost of 390 EURO per in-lab study, with a range of 180 EURO in Greece, Belgium, and Sweden to 700 EURO in Finland and Germany.
- Another study from 2000 2 mentions a socio-economical analysis in Paris, which defines the actual standard mean cost of a polysomnography in the lab as 500 EURO.
- The cost of operating a 4-bed PSG sleep laboratory would likely be higher than the cost of a single in-lab study, but the exact cost is not provided in the given studies.
Cost Comparison of In-Lab and At-Home Sleep Studies
- Several studies compare the costs of in-lab polysomnography with at-home sleep studies:
- A study from 1999 3 reports that the incremental charges for polysomnography over home study or no testing were about $13,400 and $9,200, respectively, per quality-adjusted life-year gained.
- A study from 2017 4 estimates the overall costs per patient as $627.40, with $419.20 for at-home testing and $746.20 for in-lab testing.
- A study from 2015 5 reports that the per subject costs for the laboratory-based pathway were $1,840 compared to $1,575 for the home-based pathway.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Sleep Study Technologies
- Some studies conduct cost-effectiveness analyses of alternative sleep study technologies:
- A study from 2001 6 concludes that the combination of 1:2 PSG and attended PSM strategy is the optimal strategy with respect to financing and operations, and may lead to a 10% reduction of the annual expenditure compared to the PSG-only strategy.
- A study from 2015 5 reports that for payers, a home-based diagnostic pathway for obstructive sleep apnea with robust patient support incurs fewer costs than a laboratory-based pathway, while for providers, costs are comparable if not higher, resulting in a negative operating margin.