What the HLTH 1945 is for
Form B refers a patient to a sleep disorder physician or a polysomnography facility for consultation. BC introduced it with the provincial standard home sleep apnea test requisition, Form A (HLTH 1944), in 2021. Form A is required for home testing. Form B is optional, and covers the patients home testing doesn’t suit.
Form A’s decision pathway sends a patient to Form B when they aren’t at increased risk of moderate-to-severe OSA but are still symptomatic, since they may have another sleep disorder. It also excludes home testing for concern about a non-respiratory sleep disorder, hypoventilation risk such as neuromuscular disease or a BMI of 40 or more, chronic opioid use, significant cardiopulmonary disease, a previous negative or equivocal HSAT, children under 16, and patients who can’t complete a self-administered test.
Who completes it
The referring practitioner completes and signs the form. The receiving sleep physician or facility contacts the patient directly with appointment details.
How to fill in the referral
Patient information
The required fields are marked with an asterisk: name, PHN, date of birth, primary contact number and safety-critical occupation. If the patient drives a truck, taxi or bus, flies, works in emergency services or construction, tick Yes and describe the work in the history box. This field is easy to skip and it changes triage.
Patient history, allergies and medications
Summarize the sleep complaint, comorbid conditions, and anything that excluded home testing. List allergies and medications, including opioids and sedatives.
Referring practitioner and primary care provider
Enter your name and MSP number, both required, with clinic contact details. Name the primary care provider, or tick Same as Referring Practitioner, and add anyone who should receive a copy.
Sleep disorder physician or facility and reason for referral
Name the physician or accredited polysomnography facility you’re referring to. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC publishes the list of accredited facilities. Write the reason for referral, and if it’s urgent, tick Yes and give the detail.
Attachments
Tick what you’re sending: pertinent history and notes, recent blood work, relevant radiology, and all previous sleep studies and PAP therapy results. Sending earlier home test results saves the patient a repeat study.
Common reasons it’s delayed
- Safety-critical occupation left blank or ticked Yes with no detail.
- No reason given for skipping home sleep apnea testing.
- Previous sleep studies or PAP data not attached.
- Urgent ticked with no explanation.
- Missing PHN, MSP number or contact number.
Submitting and who pays
Send the form and attachments directly to the sleep physician or facility you named. The consultation and in-lab study are billed to MSP by the receiving physician and facility when they’re insured services for the patient.