Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Department of Veterans Affairs•Martinez, CA

69d•Onsite

About The Position

Full-time day technician based at Martinez, CA clinic in the Sleep Section of the Northern California VA Neurology Department. The duties encompass a wide range of clinical, technical, and clerical responsibilities for our comprehensive sleep program. S/he will use telemedicine when needed for coverage & coordination with other sleep clinic locations within the healthcare system. The incumbent will perform all duties and procedures in maintaining an effective Sleep Clinic including working closely with patients and families, physicians, techs, and other departments as needed. Specifically, the incumbent performs the following: Portable Sleep Apnea Study. Setting up patient with monitors to record multiple respiration parameters for diagnosing sleep apnea with nasal and oral airflow, respiratory effort, body position, oximetry, and snoring. Validate recording succeeded. Download and electronically transfer for scoring and processing. Scan results documents into patient chart. Educate patients and caregivers about sleep-disordered breathing and how portable sleep studies can identify sleep apnea Scoring: The technician will score portable and/or attended polysomnography sleep studies prior to specialist review; and alert specialist of critical findings. Creates sleep study report for specialist's review. Scan results documents into patient chart. Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) portable titration. This includes selecting and fitting patient with appropriate interface devices. Demonstrate how to use masks and equipment to assure appropriate function. Instructs patients and their significant other or caregiver in PAP set-ups for overnight portable sleep testing, ensure full understanding of the procedure and function of PAP unit. Provides patient supplies including filters, hoses, masks, chinstraps, and headgear for home PAP testing. Able to identify indications, complications, and contraindications of PAP therapy. Able to complete titration with interface between sleep recorder and PAP for extensive titration. Able to interface PAP with home oximetry monitor for follow-up evaluation of efficacy. Receives posttest PAP units and downloads sleep data via smartcard, submit to licensed Sleep provider for review. Create electronic chart note that documents a summary of posttest download data for specialist review. CPAP/ DME Clinic. Able to independently program, set-up and adjust settings on PAP equipment based on prescription, working with a variety of brands and types of PAP (CPAP, BiPAP, ASV, AVAPS and others). Demonstrate to patient how to use, clean, and maintain masks and equipment to assure proper function and extended use. Troubleshoot machine and/or mask to determine patient barriers to use and correct them. Downloads data and creates electronic chart documentation of download results. Takes appropriate immediate action based on download results including correcting leaks and minor pressure adjustments.

Responsibilities

Setting up patient with monitors to record multiple respiration parameters for diagnosing sleep apnea with nasal and oral airflow, respiratory effort, body position, oximetry, and snoring.
Validate recording succeeded.
Download and electronically transfer for scoring and processing.
Scan results documents into patient chart.
Educate patients and caregivers about sleep-disordered breathing and how portable sleep studies can identify sleep apnea
Score portable and/or attended polysomnography sleep studies prior to specialist review; and alert specialist of critical findings.
Creates sleep study report for specialist's review.
Scan results documents into patient chart.
Selecting and fitting patient with appropriate interface devices.
Demonstrate how to use masks and equipment to assure appropriate function.
Instructs patients and their significant other or caregiver in PAP set-ups for overnight portable sleep testing, ensure full understanding of the procedure and function of PAP unit.
Provides patient supplies including filters, hoses, masks, chinstraps, and headgear for home PAP testing.
Able to identify indications, complications, and contraindications of PAP therapy.
Able to complete titration with interface between sleep recorder and PAP for extensive titration.
Able to interface PAP with home oximetry monitor for follow-up evaluation of efficacy.
Receives posttest PAP units and downloads sleep data via smartcard, submit to licensed Sleep provider for review.
Create electronic chart note that documents a summary of posttest download data for specialist review.
Able to independently program, set-up and adjust settings on PAP equipment based on prescription, working with a variety of brands and types of PAP (CPAP, BiPAP, ASV, AVAPS and others).
Demonstrate to patient how to use, clean, and maintain masks and equipment to assure proper function and extended use.
Troubleshoot machine and/or mask to determine patient barriers to use and correct them.
Downloads data and creates electronic chart documentation of download results.
Takes appropriate immediate action based on download results including correcting leaks and minor pressure adjustments.