DARIEN, IL – On Friday, March 29, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) will present Sleep Medicine Disruptors, a unique learning experience that will explore the innovations poised to change the landscape of sleep health care. The dynamic, in-person and livestreamed event will represent an open collaboration between sleep physicians and health technology leaders to address how artificial intelligence, consumer sleep technology and other disruptors will affect the future of patient health, health care delivery and health care costs.

“With both validated and unproven sleep-related technologies entering the consumer marketplace and impacting the clinical care of patients with sleep disorders, the field of sleep medicine is at a critical juncture,” said AASM President Dr. Douglas B. Kirsch. “The AASM is committed to ensuring that sleep specialists are equipped and prepared to identify and leverage the best innovations to promote high quality, patient-centered care.”

The Sleep Medicine Disruptors course will bring together thought leaders from the fields of sleep medicine, digital technology, and health care innovation to discuss topics ranging from big data and precision medicine to consumer sleep technology and wearables. Among the eight presenters on the course agenda are Conor Heneghan, PhD, lead sleep scientist at Fitbit, and Jeff Bauer, PhD, a health futurist and medical economist. The event will conclude with a panel discussion.

“Fitbit wearable devices not only give individuals the ability to track and better understand their own sleep, but they also unlock significant potential to gain new insights into the connection between sleep and other health indicators, such as activity and exercise,” said Heneghan. “I’m pleased to join the AASM and my fellow panelists to speak about advancements in wearable fitness devices and discuss ways we can improve sleep quality while better identifying the nearly 30 million American adults affected by obstructive sleep apnea.”

Sleep Medicine Disruptors will be held in downtown Chicago at the MATTER health care incubator (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT, and it will be available by livestream. Registration is open to all who are interested in learning about the convergence of sleep medicine and disruptive innovation.

For more information, including a complete course agenda and speaker bios, or to register to attend in person or by livestream, visit aasm.org/smd. To speak to an AASM spokesperson or a scheduled presenter, please email mkasik@lcwa.com.

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine improves sleep health and promotes high quality, patient-centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. The AASM has a combined membership of 10,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals.