Sleep Disorders Services (SDS)

The SDS program is applicable to healthcare organisations that evaluate patients to identify sleep disorders and the management of patients diagnosed with these disorders.

Achieving accreditation is evidence the service has demonstrated its competence area and its commitment to patient-centred care.

The program is overseen by NATA’s Sleep Disorders Services Accreditation Advisory Committee (SDSAAC). The role of the SDSAAC includes professional/technical guidance together with strategic planning and administrative support for the management of the program.

SDS accreditation allows sleep services to demonstrate technical competence in all study types offered as well as quality measures that mitigate risk and promote improvement.

Accreditation provides a commitment to the highest level of patient care for people with sleep disorders. To meet these levels of care, NATA has adopted the ASA Standard for SDS as the criteria for accreditation.

The Standard covers both managerial and technical requirements and includes the principles from the international standard ISO 15189 Medical Laboratories – requirements for quality and competence.

The adoption of the ISO 15189 Standard to the ASA Standard raises accreditation to an internationally recognised level. The ASA is responsible for maintaining the Standard and NATA is responsible for the conduct and administration of the accreditation program.

The benefits include:

• Providing high quality care to patients with sleep disorders
• Providing objective, independent attestation that the sleep service is competent to carry out studies in accordance with the ASA Standard for Sleep Disorders Services 
• Building the sleep service’s and organisation’s credibility 
• Providing improved outcomes through independent assessments against professionally recognised standards
• Building confidence for patients and referrers that the sleep service can produce reliable data on which to make patient management decisions 
• Increased staff satisfaction 
• Providing a competitive advantage by recognition as a high-quality service

NATA accredited sleep services are required to continue to comply with all accreditation criteria for the SDS accreditation program.

To ensure continued compliance with the criteria, scheduled assessments are arranged which include an on-line reporting of key requirements of the ASA Standard and uploading of documentation at 24 months followed by an on-site reassessment at 48 months.