Following is an excerpt from AASM President Dr. Nathaniel Watson’s editorial in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
In 2015 the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is celebrating its 40th anniversary as the leader in improving sleep health and promoting high quality, patient-centered care. Since its establishment in 1975, the AASM has built the field of clinical sleep medicine through the tireless efforts of our outstanding leaders, dedicated volunteers and loyal members. They have given us a solid foundation for our future.
However, the U.S. health care system has changed significantly since 1975, with the most dramatic changes occurring in the five years since President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law on March 23, 2010. Although our foundation remains strong, it is essential for us to reconfigure sleep medicine to provide the patient-centered, value-based care demanded by the ACA, which is summarized in the prevailing Triple Aim of better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower per capita costs. With an increasing proportion of patients obtaining health insurance coverage through public programs, hospital systems transitioning to accountable care organizations (ACO), and ongoing reductions in physician reimbursement rates, it is more important than ever for medical practices to enhance efficiency and improve quality in order to remain relevant and viable. Your sleep medicine practice must evolve. To provide you with vital assistance, the AASM launched Evolve Sleep, a comprehensive Web resource for AASM members, on August 3.
Evolve Sleep will equip you with optimized solutions to help your sleep medicine practice thrive as the U.S. health care system continues to change. Featuring videos, case studies, infographics and other tools, Evolve Sleep gives you the insight you need to move your sleep practice forward with confidence. These resources are conveniently organized into three subsections.
Read the complete editorial, “Evolve Sleep: Optimized Solutions to Help Your Sleep Medicine Practice Thrive,” in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
