DOT Sleep Evaluation Program

Employers of safety-sensitive transportation employees such commercial truck drivers, play a fundamental role in ensuring the safety of their employees and the traveling public. Drowsiness and insufficient sleep can put commercial drivers and all others on the road in great danger, potentially causing substantial injury and disability each year. A sleep evaluation can help maximize public safety, carrier compliance, and risk mitigation for all stakeholders. Concentra's DOT Sleep Evaluation Program (CoSEP) provides processes and tools that help our clinicians objectively and consistently evaluate commercial truck drivers at high crash risk due to excessive sleepiness. We apply the latest in sleep research, technological advancements, and a standard of medical care to our existing DOT examination process. Sleep apnea is a breathing-related sleep disorder that causes brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. This serious, potentially life-threatening condition often goes undiagnosed, but can cause an individual to suffer from insufficient sleep. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), as many 28 percent of commercial driver's license (CDL) holders have sleep apnea. Individuals with sleep apnea may experience symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, resulting from commonly interrupted sleep, as well as loud snoring, morning headaches, and lack of concentration. How does Concentra's DOT sleep evaluation program work? If the provider believes an individual may be at risk of crashing due to excessive sleepiness, he or she will conduct an evaluation with Concentra's Sleep Evaluation questionnaire. Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, so this questionnaire records any medical conditions the employee may have such as diabetes or high blood pressure. It also evaluates his or her level of sleepiness, and measures body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, and airway anatomy. If the doctor determines that the employee is at a moderate or high risk after conducting the sleep evaluation, he or she will be referred for a sleep evaluation such as an in-home sleep test or in-lab test. If treatment is prescribed by the sleep specialist, the testing facility will arrange for any necessary equipment and documentation. Whether the employee is able to continue driving is at the discretion of the provider. How Concentra can help The sleep evaluation program helps employers improve safety records and can reduce liability for crash-related damages. Our goal is to identify drivers at the greatest risk of crashing due to excessive sleepiness.