Launch of new Sleep Health Primary Care Guideline at RACGP conference
05 December 2022
From Alex Sweetman
Professor Nick Zwar and I were invited to formally launch the new Sleep Health Primary Care Guideline at the annual RACGP conference, GP22, held in Melbourne on November 25-27 .
The online Guideline was developed by the National Centre for Sleep Health Services Research CRE, reviewed by experts in the fields of obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia, and general practice implementation, and was recently approved by the RACGP as an Accepted Clinical Resource. The ASA will oversee the ongoing maintenance and promotion of the Guideline.
The online Guideline is a freely accessible resource designed for primary care clinicians. It presents interactive and engaging evidence-based information on the management of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea in adults.
The Guideline has been designed for primary care:
- Clinicians can use the Guideline to access on-demand information. A keyword-search function can be used to identify relevant and important information, symptoms, treatments, and referral options during consultations,
- A step-by-step overview of each disorder provides introductory information,
- Hyperlinking between content has been developed to ensure efficient navigation through the resource,
- Interactive online questionnaires allow clinicians to assess patients for sleep apnea and insomnia symptoms/risk, and receive immediate results and information about questionnaire interpretation.
The Guideline is a ‘living’ resource that can be updated and expanded over time as new diagnosis and treatment models for insomnia and sleep apnoea become available in Australian primary care, and additional information on other sleep conditions and specific populations are included.
Professor Nick Zwar and Associate Professor Stijn Soenen, the primary developers of the Guideline, are preparing an article describing the development and features of the Guideline for a Focused Issue on sleep health in the RACGP’s Australian Journal of General Practice.