New data reveals there is a possible unmet need for screening and treatment for sleep problems in ethnically diverse urban primary care settings, according to Healio.

“In the United States, 50 to 70 million adults have a sleep disorder,” Elizabeth K. Song, PhD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, and colleagues wrote. “… Primary care providers can play a critical role in identifying and reducing disordered sleep. However, primary care settings typically do not routinely screen for sleep disorders, which may contribute to underidentification.”

To study the detection of sleep disorders in an ethnically diverse, urban primary care setting, the researchers surveyed 95 patients recruited from waiting rooms at two primary care clinics affiliated with a major metropolitan hospital in the Bronx in July and August 2015.

The surveys questioned whether patients had ever sought help for sleep problems, and asked them to self-report comorbidities and sleep behavior. The survey also included an insomnia severity index and the Berlin Questionnaire on sleep apnea. PCPs were given the screening results, and provided feedback on their potential clinical use.

Read the full story at www.healio.com