Addressing Sleep Staff Non-Compliance with Standard F-7: Inter-scorer Reliability (ISR)

This process provides a step-by-step guide for regaining compliance when a staff scorer fails to meet the ISR requirements outlined in Standard F-7.

If staff fail to meet the required compliance standards for Sleep ISR, the following procedures must be followed:

  1. Document the Quarterly Compliance Report

    • Identify the reasons for non-compliance.
    • Propose appropriate resolutions to address the issue.
  2. Assess the Feasibility of Regaining Compliance

    • Determine if the facility will restore compliance by allowing the staff scorer to compensate for the missed ISR record.
    • The site director must decide on this course of action, which must be documented in the facility's written policy.
  3. Selection of a Blind Study

    • Choose an overnight polysomnography (PSG) study with 200 epochs for evaluation.
    • Ensure the study meets the following criteria:
      • Reference Sleep Specialist Involvement: A reference sleep specialist (meeting Standard B-2, such as the facility director or a board-certified medical professional) serves as the benchmark for comparison.
      • Independent Scoring: Both the reference sleep specialist and the staff scorer independently score the same 200 epochs.
      • Scoring Parameters: The scoring must include:
        • Sleep Staging (evaluated epoch-by-epoch)
        • Respiratory Events
        • Leg Movements
        • Arousals
  4. Agreement Percentage

    • Calculate the level of agreement between the staff scorer and the reference sleep specialist, typically expressed as a percentage.
  5. Comparison Data Tabulation

    • Analyze each of the four scoring parameters to determine if the agreement meets the acceptable percentage.
  6. Outcome Report

    • Document whether the staff scorer achieved the required agreement percentage.
    • If the standard is not met, detail the corrective actions taken to address discrepancies.
  7. Final Review and Sign-Off

    • The reference sleep specialist must review the final report and sign it, confirming the review process and any corrective actions taken.
    • Ensure the report is dated and securely filed for record-keeping.