Telemedicine

Sleep medicine, by its very nature, is a technology-driven medical specialty. From polysomnography and home sleep apnea tests to positive airway pressure machines and hypoglossal nerve stimulators, sleep specialists have implemented innovative technology to treat sleep diseases. Moreover, consumer sleep technologies now are transforming the way populations consider their sleep health.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is committed to advancing the adoption of telemedicine in the sleep field to improve access to high quality, patient-centered care. Sleep telemedicine services have the capability to revolutionize sleep care, allowing you to provide care for patients previously out of reach.

Telemedicine Codes

Get more information on the Telemedicine Codes page in the Coding and Reimbursement section of the website. Send your coding question to coding@aasm.org.

AASM SleepTM

The AASM invested in the development of a platform for providers and facilities to seamlessly integrate sleep telemedicine into a practice. AASM SleepTM was created for sleep medicine care to facilitate virtual visits, with additional tools that help providers and patients monitor and track sleep patterns. To learn more about this secure, HIPAA-compliant technology, visit sleeptm.com or call AASM SleepTM at 1-888-334-6820.

Telehealth.HHS.gov

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers telemedicine information for patients and providers. The providers section includes information on topics such as getting started, billing and reimbursement, and legal considerations. Learn more at telehealth.hhs.gov.

Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact offers a new, voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states. The IMLC mission is to increase access to health care for patients in underserved or rural areas, allowing them to more easily connect with medical experts through the use of telemedicine technologies. Learn more at imlcc.org.

Center for Connected Health Policy

CCHP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to maximize teleheath’s ability to improve health outcomes, care delivery and cost effectiveness. Learn more at cchpca.org.

• COVID-19 telehealth coverage policies
• COVID-19 related state actions
• Current state laws and reimbursement policies
• Legislation and regulation tracking

AASM Telemedicine Position Paper

The AASM Board of Directors convened a task force to understand and define the key features, processes, and standards for telemedicine specific to sleep medicine. The task forced developed a position paper that discusses the specific advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine and provides recommendations for appropriate use of telemedicine for the sleep specialist:  American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Position Paper for the Use of Telemedicine for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disorders.

Telemedicine Case Studies

The following sleep telemedicine case studies are examples of how sleep clinicians have implemented this method into their practices in order to expand access to care for patients and increase the efficiency of their practice. Although these are based on real scenarios, no actual patient information is included.

• Growing a Rural Sleep Clinic through Telemedicine
• Telemedicine for Obstructive Sleep Apnea