What To Expect Once Referral Is Received

STEP 1 - The Referral

You may be referred by your General Practitioner or Specialist Physician for a sleep disorder consultation and sleep study at North Van Sleep Lab. You may have a specialist that has privileges to refer directly to the sleep lab, therefore you will not need a consult with our sleep medicine physician at the North Vancouver Sleep Disorders Laboratory and Clinic prior to any testing performed.

Sometimes a patient already has been diagnosed with a sleep disorder but your referring physician is requesting further management and diagnostic evaluation as you may not have been fully treated as your sleep symptoms persist.

Your referring physician will fax the referral to our office (604-973-2236). The referring physician may use their own referral form or our North Vancouver Sleep Referral Form

Once we receive your referral, you will be contacted to book your appointment with the North Vancouver Sleep Medicine Physician (this may be in person or telemedicine). Once your appointment is booked, we will send a memo to your doctor to notify them of your appointment so that they are aware.

STEP 2 - Filling Out The Questionnaire

Prior to your appointment you will need to fill out a Sleep Questionnaire (which is on this website). We can also email it to you.

The questionnaire is very important as it may determine how urgently you need to be seen. For patients who are traveling long distances we want to ensure that all arrangements are made to make your sleep consultation and sleep study the most efficient as possible.

The sleep physician will be reviewing the sleep questionnaire during the initial consultation to help obtain a more detailed history to diagnose your sleep disorder.

STEP 3 - The Sleep Medicine Physician Consultation

When you arrive you will register at the front desk so that we can confirm your identification . The sleep disorder physician will review with you your sleep questionnaire along with any previous sleep disorder testing you may have had already. The sleep disorder physician will go over your sleep and general health history in more detail and conduct a physical exam.

Telehealth consultation is also available.

STEP 4 - Sleep Testing

Many sleep disorders require some form of overnight study to make a diagnosis or to determine optimum treatment. We may request a more detailed sleep test (nocturnal polysomnogram) in our North Vancouver Sleep Disorders Laboratory.

Occasionally we may request additional tests.

The sleep study is scheduled at a time that is convenient for you. The staff will explain in more detail what is involved in having a sleep study and a sleep study information handout is provided.

The sleep medicine physician will inform the sleep lab staff as to what testing you need to be booked for, and we will schedule that appointment for you.

STEP 5 - Visit with the sleep specialist to review testing results and develop treatment plan

You will be booked for an appointment with the sleep physicians to review all your tests and future appointments that may be required. There may be follow up testing as required to optimize care. All consult notes and testing results will be sent to your referring physicians.