Support the future of sleep medicine – Renew your AASM membership
The AASM will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2015 by reflecting on past accomplishments and planning ahead for the future of the sleep medicine field. Your support through your membership allows the AASM to pursue initiatives that will ensure that the subspecialty has a role in the new era of patient-centered, value based care. From funding research and development of quality metrics for sleep disorder to the development of telehealth protocols, your support is an investment in the future of our field. Renew your membership today.
Sleep apnea and metabolic syndrome combine to increase heart risk
Obstructive sleep apnea and concurrent metabolic syndrome are synergistically associated with worse endothelial function, according to a study in the October issue of SLEEP. The results suggest that the combined effects of both disease processes increase the risk for cardiovascular disease complications.
CMS extends meaningful use hardship exception deadline
This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to extend the deadline to submit EHR hardship exemption requests until Nov 30. The hardship exception application and applicable guidelines can be found on the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website. Providers granted hardship exceptions will be exempt from the scheduled 2015 payment adjustment for not demonstrating meaningful use.
Encourage sleep apnea patients to join MyApnea.org
Sleep apnea patients and their families are invited to join MyApnea.org to learn more about symptoms and treatment, share their experiences with others, and become part of a national research network to improve lives. The project is part of the Sleep Apnea Patient Centered Outcomes Network, a Patient-Powered Research Network funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Encourage your sleep apnea patients to join today.
Wanted: Sleep apnea patient success stories
The AASM is conducting national media outreach to bring much-needed, widespread attention to the consequences of obstructive sleep apnea and the health benefits of treatment.
Hypnogram: Catalyzing strategic sleep research
As the U.S. health care system continues to transition away from a fee-for-service payment model, it is critical that we accelerate translational and clinical research that demonstrates the value of care provided by sleep specialists. We’ve already identified strategic opportunities in sleep and circadian research. Now the American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) and MyApnea.org are acting as catalysts that will help convert those perceived opportunities into realized achievements.
Revision made to ASMF Focused Projects Award
The American Sleep Medicine Foundation has revised the application for the Focused Projects Award to clarify any confusion regarding human subject testing. The statement "No human subject testing will be funded under this award" has been removed from the application.
Call for volunteers: Serve on AASM Nominating Committee
The AASM invites nominations from the membership for candidates interested in serving one two-year term on the Nominating Committee which begins in 2016. The Nominating Committee is charged with the evaluation of applications received from the membership for open positions on the Board of Directors and the recommendation of highly-qualified candidates for service in leadership capacities.
HuffPost article by AASM President provides tips to manage jet lag
A recent HuffPost Healthy Living blog post by AASM President Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler provides insight and tips on How to Fight Jet Lag. Exposing yourself to light or darkness at strategic times is the key to help your body gradually transition to a new time zone, he writes.
Study confirms heritability of craniofacial features related to sleep apnea
The craniofacial structures that have been associated with obstructive sleep apnea are heritable, according to a study in the October issue of SLEEP. Heritability was confirmed for features such as mandibular length and width, maxillary width and size of the oropharyngeal space.
Tongue fat may be the link between obesity and sleep apnea
A study in the October issue of SLEEP shows that obese adults who have obstructive sleep apnea have a significantly larger tongue with a higher percentage of fat than obese controls.
Submit Strategic Research Award applications by Oct. 13
The American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) is requesting applications for Category I Strategic Research Awards of up to $250,000 and Category II Strategic Research Awards of up to $100,000. Applications should focus on assessment, improvement, or innovation of strategies to achieve optimal outcomes, quality, cost-effectiveness, or value in delivery of sleep health care in the U.S. Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2014.
Narcolepsy Network 29th Annual Conference is Oct. 17
The Narcolepsy Network, the advocacy group for patients with narcolepsy, is hosting their 29th annual conference Oct. 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. The annual conference brings together people whose lives are affected by narcolepsy to share their experiences with one another. The meeting also features presentations by narcolepsy researchers and sleep physicians. For more information about the upcoming meeting, visit the Narcolepsy Network website.
Earn 19.50 CME with Sleep Medicine Trends 2014 learning modules
Stay current on the latest sleep medicine trends with the Sleep Medicine Trends 2014 online learning modules. Earn up to 19.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ when you complete the full bundle of modules. With over 20 different topics covered, these learning modules are invaluable to the sleep medicine professional looking to advance their knowledge in the field of sleep medicine. Broaden your horizons and earn up to 19.50 CME today.
PA/NP Course – Don’t miss this opportunity
The Sleep Disorders for the Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Course is getting closer and space is limited. Attend this one-and-a-half-day course that will provide physician assistants and nurse practitioners with an in-depth look at diagnosing, treating and managing sleep disorders. Register today for the must-attend PA/NP course of 2014.
Celebrate 40 years of advancing sleep medicine with the AASM
Renew your membership today and join us in celebrating the AASM’s 40th anniversary in 2015. The anniversary celebration is a time to reflect on the achievements of our members who helped make sleep medicine what it is today, and a time to look ahead to the future of our field in the changing health care environment. Your membership enables us to work to ensure that sleep medicine can thrive in an era of patient-centered, value based care. We urge you to renew your membership for 2015. It will only take a few moments, but will help us make a difference in the years ahead.
Oct. 3 deadline: Apply to participate in ICD-10 end to end testing
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced plans to conduct end-to-end testing for ICD-10 claims beginning Jan. 26-30, 2015. CMS is currently accepting applications from physicians interested in participating. Applications must be submitted using a volunteer form, which can be accessed on the ICD-10 page of your Medicare Administrative Contractor’s website. Additional information about ICD-10 testing is available on the CMS website.
Sunshine Act: Open payments website now live
On Sept. 30 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the first round of Open Payments data on the CMS website. Open Payments is a program mandated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA requires public disclosure of all transfers of value of $10 or more provided by pharmaceutical and device manufacturers to physicians and teaching hospitals. Transfers of value that must be disclosed include: gifts; speaker fees; research grants; meals; travel and investments.
Join the AASM Oct. 8 for a free webinar on Inter-scorer Reliability
The AASM is offering physicians and sleep center staff the opportunity to learn more about the AASM Inter-scorer Reliability program in a free webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 8. More than 1,200 AASM-accredited sleep centers use this user-friendly assessment system. By participating in this essential program, your facility can save time and money while satisfying the AASM Standards for Accreditation’s inter-scorer reliability requirements. For more information about how AASM Inter-scorer Reliability works and how it may benefit your facility, join the AASM in an informational 1-hour online session about on Oct. 8 at 2:00 PM CDT. Advanced registration is required.
Study shows that tongue size and fat may predict sleep apnea risk in obese adults
A new study of obese adults is the first to show that those who have obstructive sleep apnea have a significantly larger tongue with a higher percentage of fat than obese controls. This may provide a mechanistic explanation for the relationship between obesity and sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a growing public health threat in the U.S.
At least 25 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), reports the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. Sleep apnea afflicts an estimated 26 percent of adults between the ages of 30 and 70 years, a prevalence that has increased substantially over the last two decades.
Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in U.S. threatens public health
Public health and safety are threatened by the increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea, which now afflicts at least 25 million adults in the U.S., according to the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. Several new studies highlight the destructive nature of obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and depression.
Submissions for new Case Book of Sleep Medicine due by Monday
The AASM is seeking illustrative, thought-provoking cases for the new Case Book of Sleep Medicine. The deadline for submission is Monday, Sept. 29. The Case Book will be a learning companion to the ICSD-3, with a structure that mimics it in structure, and cases that demonstrate the classifications of each sleep disorder.
Mallampati score and tonsillar size are predictors of sleep apnea in children
A study in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that Mallampati score and tonsillar size are independent predictors of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). According to the authors, oral examination may help prioritize sleep studies for earlier diagnosis and management of pediatric OSA.
Study links residual sleep apnea in children to small mandible size
Residual obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after adenotonsillectomy may be partly due to the smaller sizes of the mandible in pediatric patients, according to a Japanese study in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. According to the authors, maxillomandibular morphology should be examined carefully when developing a treatment plan for OSA in children.