In the Aug. 19, 2011, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided an analysis of data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.  Results show that in 2009, the median estimated overall prevalence of insufficient rest or sleep among adults aged ≥18 years was 39.3 percent, ranging from 34.3 percent in the Virgin Islands to 52.6 percent in West Virginia.

A recent memo to the heads of federal departments and agencies from Jacob J. Lew, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, addressed 2013 budget requests.  Lew stated that 2013 budget submissions to OMB should be at least five percent below 2011 enacted discretionary appropriation, unless an agency has been given explicit direction otherwise by OMB.

 On Aug. 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is seeking comment for two sets of proposed guidelines: the draft guidance for Design Considerations for Pivotal Clinical Investigations for Medical Devices, and the draft guidance for Factors to Consider when Making Benefit-Risk Determinations in Medical Device Premarket Review. Submit comments by Nov. 14, 2011.

Last week the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released “Comparative Effectiveness Review of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults,” the latest report from AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program.  The systematic review included 234 clinical studies published through September 2010.

The first webinar in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy People webinar series will focus on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Join the discussion on Aug. 16, 2011, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT.

New York Assembly Bill 354 (AB 354), which establishes “authorization” for sleep technologists, was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 4, 2011.  The bill requires an individual performing sleep procedures to obtain an authorization certificate issued by the State Education Department. The AASM has been working with the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine (NYSSSM) over the past 10 years to pass this licensure bill. Now that AB 354 has been enacted, the AASM will assist the NYSSSM on developing the regulatory language.

Last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the federal government is contemplating various ways of enhancing the regulations overseeing research on human subjects. The public comment period closes at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, 2011.

Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the release of its “Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care.”  The guide is based on existing, evidence-based CDC guidelines that apply to a wide range of health-care facilities but are mostly used by hospitals.

Earlier this month the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that a recent study funded by the AHRQ revealed that very few primary care clinicians (PCCs) routinely screen for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The study gathered information from 44 randomly selected practices in five regional, practice-based research networks.

The study found that only 10 of the 44 PCCs (23 percent) who were interviewed said that they routinely screen patients for OSA. Only 14 of the 45 PCCs could identify 25 patients in their practices with OSA despite using multiple methods and having three months to do so.

Bill requires that an applicant for licensure complete educational and training requirements approved by a newly constructed Respiratory Therapist for Polysomnographic Technologist Licensing Board before obtaining a sleep technologist license. The bill also establishes a scope of practice for sleep technologists, outlining the procedures they can perform under the general supervision of a licensed physician.