Introduction
Sleep disorders are common comorbid conditions in patients with neurologic disorders. Evaluation of those patients with neurologic disease and sleep disorders with a neurologic lens is important as diagnostic considerations and treatment may be different than for those patients without neurologic disease. The ability to evaluate sleep disorders in the neurology clinic is essential for any general child neurologist and furthermore, recognition of when to refer a patient to a sleep neurologist can importantly augment their patients’ care. This outpatient rotation aims to expose residents to the fundamentals of sleep neurology as well as provide an introduction to the use of polysomnography and other diagnostics tests used in the evaluation of sleep disorders.
Schedule
The schedule for this outpatient elective will be determined in the weeks preceding the rotation by communicating with Dr. Seaborg and the sleep medicine GME coordinator. The rotation is composed of mostly outpatient clinics at the Wisconsin Sleep Center as well as time reviewing sleep studies with Dr. Seaborg.
Patient Care
Goals
Residents must demonstrate the ability to provide family centered patient care that is developmentally and age appropriate, compassionate, and effective for treatment of neurological problems and the promotion of health for patients with sleep disorders.
Objectives
Demonstrate proficiency in collection of a comprehensive sleep history and performance of a relevant neurologic examination.
Evaluate and manage frequently encountered sleep medicine disorders including obstructive sleep apnea, including appropriate use of CPAP, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, narcolepsy, and parasomnias.
Medical knowledge
Goals
Residents will know, critically evaluate and use current medical information and scientific evidence for patient care relevant to sleep neurology.
Objectives
Become familiar with the cornerstones of a complete sleep history, including circadian sleep features, and the use of screening tools such as Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the STOP-BANG sleep apnea questionnaire
Identify on the polysomnogram or home sleep apnea test; apneas, hypopneas, and, if applicable, RERAs, periodic limb movement, and sleep stages.
Interpersonal Communication
Goals
Demonstrate excellent communication skills by partnering with the members of the sleep clinic aiming to provide timely patient care with complete and prompt documentation.
Demonstrate effective communication with families and patients resulting in the delivery of excellent, quality-based care.
Objectives
Counsel patients and their families regarding their diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment options for sleep disorders.
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
Goals
Identify opportunities for improvement in the delivery of quality of patient care relevant to sleep neurology.
Objectives
Review learning and improvement goals through frequent feedback from staff physicians working with them. Incorporate all available learning sources, including information technology to optimize their learning of all aspects of sleep medicine.
Professionalism
Goals
Residents will demonstrate ongoing self-education and habits of life-long learning.
Objectives
Residents will maintain the highest standards of professionalism, especially in interactions with patients and sleep medicine clinic faculty and staff. The resident will be responsible for tracking duty hours and reporting them to the supervisory attending.
Systems-Based Practice
Goals
Residents will recognize that they are part of a multidisciplinary team and the complexity required to coordinate care across multiple subspecialties.
Objectives
Coordinate optimal diagnostic evaluations and patient management with cost awareness within the available health care delivery systems.
Latest Revision: 7/1/2024, Adam Wallace, MD
