Today the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) released updated Standards for Accreditation of sleep facilities and independent sleep practices. The updated 2016 standards focus on safety and align with current models of clinical practice, which emphasize high quality, patient-centered care and long-term disease management.
An updated application reflecting the 2016 standards will be available on Sept. 1, 2016, and will be mandatory for all accreditation and reaccreditation applications submitted beginning Jan. 1, 2017. By July 1, 2017, all AASM-accredited facilities must show compliance by either completing a reaccreditation application under the updated 2016 standards or submitting a letter of attestation. More details about application dates and the compliance deadline are available in the Revised Accreditation Standards Overview.
The proposed revisions were made available by the AASM for a public comment period in fall 2015, and AASM members and accredited facilities were invited to provide feedback. The AASM thoroughly reviewed and considered all submitted comments and revised the Standards for Accreditation to address concerns brought forth by this input.
As a result of these changes, there are now two separate sets of Standards:
- Standards for Accreditation of sleep facilities that provide in-center polysomnography (PSG) and other forms of diagnostic testing, including home sleep apnea testing (HSAT). Read the At-a-Glance Changes for more details.
- Independent Sleep Practice Standards for Accreditation of sleep practices that provide HSAT but do not have a lab for in-center PSG. Read the At-a-Glance Changes for more details.
Both accreditation programs require the sleep entity to be able to provide comprehensive patient management for all sleep disorders.
Get more information online about AASM accreditation or contact the AASM Accreditation Department at accreditation@aasm.org or 630-737-9700.
