New JCSM website offers leading science in an accessible, easy to read format
The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine website received a complete redesign to coincide with the launch of the October 15th issue. The new website gives readers access to all journal content in an HTML-based format, readable on any browser or internet-ready device without downloading any files. The AASM also offers alternative ways to read the JCSM. Subscribers may choose to download individual articles, or full issues, which are also available as PDFs. Users with a tablet or e-reader can subscribe to the JCSM Kindle edition or get the complete JCSM experience with the JCSM Enhanced Edition.
Deadline to apply for the 2012 Mini-Fellowship for International Scholars is Oct. 24
This four-week program provides practical training in clinical sleep medicine to international physicians from underdeveloped countries so they may develop or improve sleep health care in their home countries. Up to ten candidates will be selected for participation in the 2012 program. Participants must be certified physicians currently living outside the United States and Canada. The deadline to apply is October 24, 2011.
JCSM receives complete website overhaul, new digital platform availability
A new website for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the official peer-reviewed publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, was launched Friday alongside the release of the journal’s October 15th issue. In addition to its attractive, streamlined design, the new website gives readers access to all journal content, readable on any browser or internet-ready device in an HTML-based format. Subscribers can also download individual articles or entire issues as PDFs. With the complete website overhaul comes several alternative ways to access JCSM.
NCI updates ASA24 online dietary assessment tool
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has made available an updated version of the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Recall (ASA24), an online dietary assessment tool. It may be of particular interest to sleep and circadian clinical researchers studying the relationship of sleep deficiency to metabolic disorders, appetite regulation and obesity. ASA24T is available to researchers free of charge. Note that using the tool requires "registering" studies to enable Web access.
AASM acknowledges October contributions to the ISR Testing Program
This convenient online program provides sleep centers, educational programs and research labs with the opportunity to compare the scoring ability of their staff and students with the AASM Gold Standard Scorer. For the October ISR Testing Program, the AASM gratefully acknowledges Nihon Kohden America for contributing software, The DuPage Medical Group Sleep Disorders Center for providing sleep records, and Dr. Michelle Cao for serving as the second gold standard. Their participation in the AASM’s effort to provide a national standard for sleep scoring is greatly appreciated.
NIH notice summarizes operations under Continuing Resolution funding
Enacted on October 4, 2011, this CR will fund government operations through November 18 at the FY 2011 level minus 1.5 percent. “Until FY 2012 appropriations are enacted, NIH will issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award (generally up to 90% of the previously committed level),” the NIH statement reads. “Upward adjustments to awarded levels will be considered after our FY 2012 appropriations are enacted.”
Final deadline for ASMF grant applications is Monday, Oct. 17
Candidates have less than a week to complete the application process for American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) grant funding. Applications are due on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011 for the Physician Scientist Training Award and the ABSM Junior Faculty Research Award.
Health care reform overview: Improving quality/health system performance, prevention/wellness
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law comprehensive health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part five of the AASM's health reform overview series focuses on Improving Quality/Health System Performance and Prevention/Wellness.
MEDPAC approves $220 Billion proposal to overhaul sustainable growth rate formula
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted 15-2 to approve its $220 billion plan to replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which sets Medicare physician payment rates. Since 2002, Congress annually has passed a series of short-term bills to block scheduled cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates under the SGR. The most recent fix will expire on January 1, 2012, at which point physicians face a 29.4% payment rate cut.The MedPAC recommendations include updating hospital payments by 1% in 2012 and altering home health care payments in 2013. Further recommendations involve changing reimbursements for some categories of durable medical equipment and repealing bonus payments for quality improvements in Medicare Advantage.
IOM recommendations highlight cost over coverage
An Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee emphasized that affordability should be Health and Human Services' (HHS') main priority in its recommendations to the agency on how the basic coverage standards for the state-based health insurance exchanges should be established. Under the federal health reform law, states by January 2014 must create insurance exchanges that provide coverage options for individuals and small businesses. States can choose to administer their own exchanges, for which they must have some infrastructure in place by January 2013, or ask the federal government to run the exchanges for them.
OIG publishes 2012 Work Plan
On Oct 5 the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced the publication of the Fiscal Year 2012 HHS OIG Work Plan. The work plan, which can be downloaded for review in its entirety on the OIG website, outlines the items to be addressed by the OIG in the next fiscal year. The 2011 OIG Work Plan highlighted a number of sleep-related projects for the OIG and sleep continues to be an important topic in the 2012 Work Plan.
The AASM recognizes its top member recruiters for October 2011
Congratulations to the AASM's top Member-Get-A-Member Campaign recruiters for the month of August. For each new member recruited, these individuals will receive a $15 Recognition of Excellence Money (REM) Voucher that can be used toward AASM resources including product purchases, course registration and more. September top recruiters include:
September Top Recruiters:
- J Brian Allman, DDS, Diplomate, ABDSM - 2 New Members
- B Kent Smith, DDS - 2 New Members
- 11 Member Recruiters - 1 New Member
New coding supplement to the ICSD-2 is now available
A new pocket-sized supplement to the AASM’s International Classification of Sleep Disorders—Second Edition (ICSD-2) is now available through the AASM. The Coding Supplement provides facilities with a user-friendly crosswalk between the diagnoses in the ICSD-2 and the billing codes found in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modifications (ICD-9-CM). Physicians and coding staff will find this resource to be indispensable as a quick reference when billing sleep medicine services.
Limited seats remaining for live Board Review Practice Exam course
Individuals preparing to take the November 10, 2011 American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) sleep medicine certification exam have limited time to register for one of the remaining seats in the AASM’s final live Board Review Practice Exam course which will be held on Monday, October 31, 2011 at the AASM national office in Darien, Illinois (a Chicago suburb).The October 28, 2011, October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2011 dates are SOLD OUT and limited seats remain in the October 31 course; register quickly to ensure that your space is reserved.
The sleep schedules of children and teens may affect their weight
A study in the Oct. 1 issue of SLEEP suggests that children and teens who keep an “early to bed and early to rise” schedule may be slimmer and more physically active than their night-owl peers. A WebMD article noted that previous studies of sleep and weight may have “missed the mark” by focusing on sleep duration while ignoring sleep schedules. An article in the Herald Sun reports that the results seem to contradict the idea that a later sleep pattern is healthy for teens.
CDC study links insufficient sleep to health-risk behaviors among teens
A study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 70 percent of high school students reported getting less than eight hours of sleep on an average school night. The study also found that insufficient sleep was associated with higher odds of many health-risk behaviors such as current use of cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol, as well as current sexual activity and having seriously considered attempting suicide.
NIH announces psychosocial stress and behavior grant
A Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network (OppNet) solicits Research Project grant (R01) applications for Mechanistic Pathways Linking Psychosocial Stress and Behavior (RFA-HL-12-037). This FOA will facilitate investigation of multiple and potentially bidirectional pathways underlying the behavioral, environmental, and psychosocial link(s) between psychosocial stressors and behaviors that may ultimately impact biological function, health and disease. The letter of intent due date is Nov. 19, 2011, and the application due date is Dec. 19, 2011.
Health care reform overview: cost containment
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law comprehensive health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part four of the AASM's health reform overview series focuses on Cost Containment.
HypnoGram: The Scoring Manual
The weather is cooling, the nights are longer and the leaves are changing. So what is changing at the AASM? We are working on a process to update/revise the scoring manual. I received the draft version of the updated respiratory rules this week from the “SAD” taskforce. This now is headed to the board of directors for their perusal and input. This has prompted us to think about how we will update the scoring manual going forward...
HHS invites abstracts for 2012 National Health Promotion Summit
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) invites abstracts on innovative disease prevention and health promotion programs for presentation at the 2012 National Health Promotion Summit. The summit will take place April 10-11, 2012, in Washington, DC. The goals of the summit are to promote the development of disease prevention and health promotion policies that align with national prevention initiatives; encourage stakeholders at every level to collaborate on reaching national health goals; and integrate health policies across all sectors.
Tribute by Dr. William Dement remembers the life of Sen. Mark Hatfield
The Oct. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP contains an obituary written by Dr. William Dement in remembrance of Sen. Mark Hatfield, who died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, in Portland, Ore, at the age of 89 years. Hatfield served in the U.S. Senate from 1967 to 1997 and was a longtime advocate for the sleep field.
Earn CME credit online: October issue of SLEEP
The Oct. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is available online, and AASM members have access to the full text of each article when you log in on the website. You also can earn continuing medical education (CME) credits online by reading designated articles such as “The association between short sleep duration and weight gain is dependent on disinhibited eating behavior in adults” and “Sleep duration or bedtime? Exploring the relationship between sleep habits and weight status and activity patterns.”
October 2011 product SALE: Save over 30% on personalized patient education brochures
During the month of October 2011, AASM individual and center members have the opportunity to save $20 on each pack of 100 personalized patient education brochures ordered from the AASM (a savings of more than 30 percent!). An exclusive benefit of membership, ordering personalized brochures allows you to have your contact information professionally printed on the back of any of the AASM’s more than 25 patient education brochures.
ABSM announces that 1,250 RPSGTs have applied for RST equivalency
Earlier this week the American Board of Sleep Medicine announced that 1,250 Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (RPSGTs) have applied for equivalency status to obtain certification from the ABSM as a Registered Sleep Technologist (RST). All practicing sleep technologists who have passed the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) examination prior to Dec. 31, 2011, and are RPSGTs in good standing, are eligible to apply to the ABSM for RST equivalency status.
Limited time remaining to register for two 1-day workshops: Portable Monitoring and CPAP Adherence
The AASM has scheduled two small-group, full-day workshops at the AASM national office in Darien, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) for sleep medicine professionals interested in learning more about the topics of portable monitoring and CPAP adherence. Registration for these workshops will end on Wednesday, October 12, 2011; onsite registration cannot be accepted, so register today. Individuals who wish to attend both workshops will save more than 25% when you register for both meetings.