Benefits of Receiving Care at AASM-Accredited Sleep Centers

Two studies being presented as poster presentations today at SLEEP 2008 describe benefits of receiving medical care from American Academy of Sleep Medicine-accredited sleep centers and from board certified sleep specialists.

One ongoing study (ID# 1069) of 243 patients at four participating sleep centers found that patients cared for by AASM-accredited centers and board-certified physicians received better education than patients cared for by non-accredited centers and non-certified physicians.

One-hundred percent of study subjects at AASM-accredited centers reported receiving adequate education about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). At non-accredited sites, 83.5 percent of study subjects reported receiving adequate education about OSA.

AASM Standards for Accreditation require that accredited sleep centers have on staff at least one board-certified sleep specialist. Initial results of this study were published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2006.

Another study (ID# 1073) of 55 patients shows that access to specialized services with close follow up in an AASM-accredited sleep center can make a significant difference in treatment success. Each of the patients had a high risk of failure to comply with continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) for OSA. Sixty-one percent of the patients became compliant and were followed up for six months.

Recognition of Sleep Medicine as a Medical Subspecialty

The field of sleep medicine has grown significantly since 700 people attended the first SLEEP annual meeting in June 1986 in Columbus, Ohio. Today sleep medicine is recognized as an independent medical subspecialty. Here are some milestones in the development of the field of sleep medicine:

1964 - The first sleep disorders center opens as a narcolepsy clinic at Stanford.
1975 – Blue Shield of California begins reimbursing patients for sleep services.
1975 – The Association of Sleep Disorders Centers is formed (later to become the American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
1977 – American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) grants accreditation to a sleep center for the first time.
1978 – AASM begins board certification for sleep specialists.
1989 – AASM begins to accredit fellowship training programs in sleep medicine.
1995 – American Medical Association (AMA) recognizes sleep medicine as a self-designated practice specialty.
1997 – AMA grants the AASM a seat in its House of Delegates.
1997 – Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) accredits the AASM as a sponsor of continuing medical education for physicians.
2003 – Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) formally recognizes sleep medicine as an independent subspecialty.
2004 – ACGME approves program requirement for residency education in sleep medicine training.
2006 – Number of sleep centers and laboratories accredited by the AASM surpasses 1,000.
2007 – The board examination in sleep medicine is administered for the first time by member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Source: Shepard JW, Buysse DJ, Chesson AL, et al. History of the development of sleep medicine in the United States. J Clin Sleep Med 2005;1:61-82.