Purpose of Technology

Actigraphy is a method of monitoring motor activity with a portable device designed to be used while patients are sleeping. The absence of movement for a given continuous period is consistent with sleep. The goal of actigraphy, used in combination with or in place of standard polysomnography in a sleep laboratory, is to detect sleep disturbances such as circadian rhythm disorders.

Questions addressed in this report include:

• How useful is actigraphy for diagnosis of CRSDs among adult and pediatric patients, and how does it compare with other methods used to diagnose CRSDs?
• Is actigraphy safe?
• Have definitive patient selection criteria been established for the use of actigraphy for diagnosing CRSDs?

These questions provide a framework for review and synthesis of the best available evidence, which is presented in this report, along with the Hayes Ratings for the technology. This report also provides background information about the condition being treated, a description of the technology, and the context for development of the technology. Other key elements addressed in the report include the regulatory status; applicable Medicare and commercial payer coverage policies; relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes; cost and cost effectiveness; credentialing; hospital length of stay; need for large case management; and ongoing and future clinical trials of the technology.

Posted in Directory Reports
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 at 12:00 pm.