Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
Quantifies daytime sleepiness severity to assess sleep disorder impact and treatment response
- Highest activation tier
- Recommended
- How it is scored
- Scored in code; a detected disagreeing draft value is flagged for correction
- Scoring type
- questionnaire
- Care settings
- Inpatient, Outpatient
When it activates
Scribeable activates a calculator from the encounter. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) can activate when the transcript or pasted chart context documents any of these:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness evaluation
- Sleep disorder severity assessment
- OSA treatment monitoring
- Narcolepsy workup
- Hypersomnolence evaluation
A coded diagnosis can also activate it. ICD-10 prefixes carried by the registry: G47.
Note-type scope: it activates on notes whose subject resolves to pulmonology, neurology, hospital medicine. A note that resolves to another subject does not carry it even when the clinician's specialty matches; a note with no resolvable subject (a generic consultation) falls back to the specialty match.
Inputs the note needs
8 inputs. Each is resolved from the transcript, the pasted chart context and charted labs; at this calculator’s tier a missing input is never requested, and a missing required input keeps the score out of the draft.
| Input | Type | Unit / options | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chance of dozing while sitting and reading (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing while watching TV (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing sitting inactive in public place (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing as car passenger for 1 hour (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing lying down to rest in afternoon (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing while sitting and talking to someone (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol (0-3) | symptom | ||
| Chance of dozing in a car while stopped in traffic (0-3) | symptom |
Scoring
8 situations, each scored 0 (would never doze) to 3 (high chance of dozing). Maximum score 24.
Reading Chance of dozing while sitting and reading (0-3) + TV Chance of dozing while watching TV (0-3) + Public Chance of dozing sitting inactive in public place (0-3) + Car passenger Chance of dozing as car passenger for 1 hour (0-3) + Lying down Chance of dozing lying down to rest in afternoon (0-3) + Talking Chance of dozing while sitting and talking to someone (0-3) + After lunch Chance of dozing sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol (0-3) + Car in traffic Chance of dozing in a car while stopped in traffic (0-3) (each 0-3)
Interpretation
0-5: Lower normal daytime sleepiness. 6-10: Higher normal daytime sleepiness. 11-12: Mild excessive daytime sleepiness. 13-15: Moderate excessive daytime sleepiness. 16-24: Severe excessive daytime sleepiness. Score >10 warrants further sleep evaluation. Use to track treatment response (e.g., pre/post CPAP). Not a diagnostic tool — confirms subjective sleepiness for clinical correlation.
Evidence
Sources carried in Scribeable's citation registry for this calculator; guideline version: Johns 1991.
- Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth Sleepiness ScaleJohns (ESS) 1991 · 1991 · Level I · link last verified 2026-03-28
How Scribeable handles it in the note
When an encounter activates the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (its highest tier is recommended), Scribeable does not ask you for missing inputs. The score is computed in code from whatever inputs resolve from the transcript, the pasted chart context or charted labs; a computed value is written into the draft only when every required input already resolves.
The score is computed in code from the resolved inputs, not recalled by the language model. If the draft states a Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) value that disagrees with the computed one, the disagreement is flagged to the second drafting pass, which is instructed to correct the score and its interpretation before you see the note.
Classified as a questionnaire: a patient-reported or clinician-rated instrument, where a spare activation carries low harm.
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