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Sleep Review DME MACs Revise Documentation Section of Positive Airway Pressure LCD | The revised information is in the Documentation Section and outlines the use of additional modifiers to indicate that an item is not medically necessary and whether a waiver of liability statement is on file. http://bit.ly/2FCoL

Thu at 12:24pm

Frank Martinez I have worked in the home medicial equipment business (HME) for over 12 years. I also owned a sleep center. I feel that a big issue that needs to be adressed (specifically) in the OSA/SDB area is compliance. I have been in 2000+ homes of CPAP users and been involved in over 1000+ sleep studies. Issue #1 is education to the patient. HME's have near zero standards for the compliance of their CPAP users (my belief is the lack of reimburstment) which shows no future of increase. Issue #2 Titration. When I have a non-compliant patient and have spent hours of education and have tried multiple mask applications (Standard Nasal, Nasal Pillow, Full Face) with little or no improvement. I then started putting patients on Auto-Titration devices and with amazement I have seen incredible results and happy and improved patient outcomes. Problem is insurance companies don't pay for these devices (most cases) if they do documentation must be shown that patient did not respond to CPAP. Comments??

Wed at 9:37am · Report

Sleep Review Sleep Review needs your feedback before June 26. Take this quick survey and we'll send you a free report about the impact of the economy on the sleep industry. Thanks! http://bit.ly/3WviC

June 25 at 10:20am

Sleep Review Aetna Program to Ensure Appropriate Home Testing Usage: http://bit.ly/RHjOI

June 23 at 4:09pm

Jerusha Michael New Sleep Apnea Therapy from Dr. Robert Thomas of BIDMC: http://blog.clevemed.com/2009/clevemed-and-robert-thomas-md-collaborate-on-new-sleep-apnea-therapy/

June 23 at 3:05pm · Report

Sleep Review Get a complete picture of how the economy is impacting your industry. Take the Wachovia and Sleep Review Q309 Sleep Center Survey. If you reply and provide your email address, Wachovia will send you a free copy of the report we produce. The deadline to complete the survey is June 26, so don’t delay. Click here to take the survey: http://bit.ly/3WviC

June 23 at 9:34am

Sleep Review Attendance dips at SLEEP 2009. Total attendance for SLEEP 2009 was 4,947 compared to 5,509 at SLEEP 2008, a decrease of 9%, according to figures from the AASM. These numbers include exhibitors, which was the number most affected attendance-wise. Read a wrap-up of the conference here: http://bit.ly/YuJdd

June 18 at 9:11am

You and Linda like this.

Linda likes this.

Sleep Review posted MediByte Intro from YouTube to their page

MediByte home testing setup introduction

June 11 at 1:05pm

Jerusha Michael CleveMed Sleep Team is heading to Seattle, WA for Sleep 2009. Do come by and say hello at Booth 929 :) Is anyone else heading that way?

June 6 at 10:09am · Report

Sleep Review Quick Web Poll: What method(s) should be federally required to screen commercial drivers for sleep apnea? Register your vote here: http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/

June 5 at 9:45am

You, Ola and Francisco like this.

Ola and Francisco like this.

Sleep Review SLEEP 2009 is right around the corner. Sleep Review will be at booth #1012. The complete scientific program for SLEEP 2009 is now available online at http://bit.ly/OGFO8. What topics, sessions, products are you most interested in learning more about?

June 3 at 9:44am

Sleep Review Sleep-walker acquitted of attempted murder, according to an article in the Daily Mail Reporter. Donna Sheppard-Saunders freed after trying to smother her mom with a pillow while sleep walking. http://bit.ly/8HeYH

June 2 at 10:02am

Sleep Review A new accreditation program for sleep labs is now available through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). The ACHC sleep lab accreditation program is designed for freestanding and hospital-based sleep labs. http://bit.ly/1ajQrb

June 1 at 8:56am

Sleep Review Sleep Testing LCD Includes Accreditation Provision http://bit.ly/dulT4

May 29 at 11:39am

Jan Cochran As a RRT who graduated from an Advanced Practice Bachelor degree program, I support the AARC's efforts 100%. Many of the programs that allows an individual to sit and earn the RPSGT "credential" is only two weeks in length. This is teaching someone to take a test, not teaching someone to think critically, learn the material and apply their knowledge in a clinical setting. This leads to having people applying a therapeutic modality who, in my opinion, know just enough to be dangerous. However, rather than belabor the point in this forum, I intend to put my money where my mouth is and support my local, state and national organizations in lobbying to defeat less than qualified individuals to provide direct patient care. Providing quality patient care should be what every person working in healthcare is striving toward, not debating whose credential is better. Personally, I feel regardless of the credential, medicine is constantly evolving and we should all be lifelong learners.

May 28 at 9:31pm · Report

You, Meaghan and Scott like this.

Meaghan and Scott like this.

Meaghan at 9:23am June 1

Well stated Jan.
Meaghan McKenzie, BS, RRT, RPSGT

Louise at 9:32am June 1

As a RPSGT with over 13 years of experience, I can guarantee you that the technologists with whom I am associated are more than qualified to care for patients in a sleep center setting. We/they are not, however, qualified to care for critically ill patients as is a RRT. Even though the two fields may be similar insofar as the use of CPAP, a RPSGT... Read More will titrate a CPAP pressure based on minute-by-minute patient observation and need. Apart from that, a RPSGT will never challenge a RRT over their expertise and skill and never claim to be able to perform the duties of a RRT. However, while a RRT is skilled in many more areas than a RPSGT, a RRT could not walk into a sleep center and perform the duties of a RPSGT. I, too, intend to put my money where my mouth is and will be completing my respiratory therapy degree within the next 12 months. I also happen to agree that medicine is constantly evolving and we should all be lifelong learners.

Meaghan at 11:09am June 2

I don't think any RRT/CRT believes they can go into a sleep lab without training. RRT/CRT who specialize in NICU/PICU/ICU/CCU all expect to be trained in these areas further after graduating from respiratory school. RT are able to adapt to the needs of the patient. Most RT understand that the treatment protocol for a neonate/child is different than that of an adult. The same is true for the use of CPAP in the hospital vs the home setting for an OSA patient.

Sleep Review The AASM and the AAST issued a joint open letter in response to the recent message from the AARC that stated that the respiratory profession was “under attack” by polysomnographic legislation. http://bit.ly/UtsY0 Do you support the AASM/AAST position? How can the organizations best work together to help ensure that the individuals providing sleep care are all competency tested and credentialed?

May 26 at 3:28pm

You, Keith, Ola, Henry and 3 others like this.

Keith, Ola, Henry and 3 others like this.

Iain at 10:32pm May 26

Sleep is NOT a function of the lungs. Even OSA is not a respiratory disorder it is a sleep disorder. It is time to end the OJT for polysomnography and put into place the well developed 3 year associate degree/community college program and then decree that ONLY RPSGT's are trained to use polysomnography to determine and treat sleep disorders

Quandetta at 4:28am May 27

Well said my friends.

Scott at 5:35am May 28

"decree that ONLY RPSGT's are trained to use polysomnography to determine and treat sleep disorders"

Nothing exclusionary in that statement. That is the kind of "open dialog" that resolves conflict. I do agree though, that RPSGT's should be formally trained and get a degree.

Quandetta Davis Hello before I go into my well deserved Rem sleep, please tell me the fair rate for a person that scores, does sleep studies, and sometimes baby psgs and mslts. Thank you sleep family

May 25 at 6:13am · Report

Sleep Review at 11:01am May 26

Results of Sleep Review's Salary Survey can be found here: http://bit.ly/wbK5V. --Hope this helps.

Sleep Review NeuroScience Inc has launched NeuroSLP, a medical protocol that tests for potential imbalances in the hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate sleep. According to the company, this protocol enhances a clinician's ability to make more informed decisions regarding patient care. http://bit.ly/sRbYE

May 21 at 10:47am

Sleep Review NTSB Cites Driver Fatigue in Fatal Motorcoach Accident. The roof of the motorcoach separated from the body of the vehicle during the accident, and 51 of the 53 occupants were ejected. The driver was reported to have struggled with CPAP compliance. http://bit.ly/MgRqh

May 18 at 3:39pm

You and Henry like this.

Henry likes this.

Sleep Review Trailblazer Releases New PSG LCD According to the policy, if the tests are done in a freestanding facility, “the facility must have on file, through TrailBlazer’s Provider Enrollment department, evidence that they are fully or provisionally certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) as a sleep disorders center or as a laboratory for sleep-related breathing disorders.” http://bit.ly/UIUrz

May 11 at 9:49am

You, Shawna, Henry and Nick like this.

Shawna, Henry and Nick like this.

Nick at 1:54pm May 11

Sounds really good to me!

Sleep Review BRPT Cuts A-STEP Requirement for Pathway #2 Candidates: http://bit.ly/jZgGf

May 7 at 9:01am

Show 4 more comments...

Mary at 6:33am May 8

It's the AASM that profits from A-Step- not the AAST. And the BRPT will profit from all the people who fail the exam because they're not prepared for it. C'est la vie!

Scott at 8:58pm May 8

Hmm...I think the outcomes of the decision speak for themselves. Rag on RT all you want, but the proof is in the pudding. Funny how nursing isn't mentioned. Nuff said. Really, I find all of this bickering tiring. I want to ad a sleep track in the future, but am being totally put off by the very community that would benefit by it.

Meaghan Halsey McKenzie Mr. Hubbel, Very well spoken. Thank you for articulating my thoughts and stance.

May 3 at 8:08pm · Report

Melissa Kaye Roy Jones And just to clarify...I totally understand what you mean by "straight off the street"--training someone from scratch with no medical background to run studies. And yes, I do agree that the RT would have a MUCH stronger base to build on. However, I have seen the person with a "blank slate" become an EXCELLENT tech and honestly were better @ titration than another tech who had their RRT. Nothing is black and white, many many many shades of grey. Which again leads us to the need for working together, gaining pearls of wisdom from all aspects of expertise. MKJ

May 2 at 12:23am · Report

Melissa Kaye Roy Jones Michael M, thanks for the response. But honestly, someone "straight off the streets" should not be running sleep studies, and a new grad RT would know how to maintain an airway and maybe understand arrhythmias but they certainly would not truly understand polysomnography--or the art of titration, for that matter--straight out of school. Do I think the RRT credential is 100% respectable, valuable, essential to patient care @ every level? Yes. But the best "sleep techs" I personally know are NOT RRT's. They have their RPSGT along with other credentials (i.e. REEGT) and/or post bacc. degrees; some have even written books on the subject! Maybe you have even had to buy their book for school! It concerns me that this is such a personal issue when we should all work together and appreciate what each specialty brings to table (or should i say "bed").
Just sayin'... Cheers :)
Melissa, RRT, RPSGT, PharmD

May 2 at 12:12am · Report

Raquel May I invite those sleep professionals (RTs, RPSGTs, and those working toward their credentials) who would like to network socially and professionally, to visit the Facebook page for Sleep Techs. http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=2317348411
I hope to see some of you there. Coffee's hot, Cheers.

May 1 at 10:05pm · Report

Scott Hubbell Amen Liz. We work TOGETHER! As a licensed professional, I love working with credentialed experts in their field. I have set up 100's if not 1000's of PAP's, and believe me, I could tell when a patient had at least a half-way educated provider let them know what was to come with PAP. I could be snide and sarcastic here but choose not to out of professional courtesy. WE as RT went through the gauntlet, maybe it is sleeps turn? I am here to back you. Just don't tread on me.

May 1 at 8:08pm · Report

Liz Humphreys McCarthy People: Can't we all just get along?!

May 1 at 7:28pm · Report

Scott Hubbell I don't look at this as an RT vs. RPSGT. My view is that a credentialed healthcare provider with a medical background could be mandated by the State or feds to get additional credentials. If the sleep lab mandates it, that is one thing. I am all for professional development and encourage additional credentials. A RT without the sleep ad on is going to need training. Period. Just as the person who answered the add for a sleep tech. As an educator and practicing RT, the LAST thing I want to do is walk into a sleep lab and claim to be an expert. I would need training, but, would get the credential, either a SDS or RPSGT. This shows my patients I am a professional. As for the NPS and SDS, of course they aren't stand alone, they are respiratory specialties as the credential states. And Mr. Clothier, you claim that RT's don't get the training and then in the same breath say you have written curriculum, shame on you...
The focus should be on the patient, not us vs. them.

May 1 at 5:56pm · Report

Robert F Clothier Jr Mr. McKenzie... I suspect I am that "40+ year veteran of Inhalation Therapy who most likely has no idea what is taught in RT courses" you mentioned below. I also suspect I DO know what is taught in RT courses as I have been the director of several RT programs over the years, at both the associate and baccalaureat degree levels. I have written the curriculum for most of those programs. Your jumping to that sort of uninformed and mistaken conclusion is just another example of the sort of inappropriate decision making that has gotten the AARC to where they are currently with this issue.

May 1 at 2:19pm · Report

John Knotts Something to think about: When the BRPT, AASM, and AAST step up and require a degreed program to become an RPSGT. Then and only then will Sleep Medicine stand alone. Until that time the AARC will continue to attempt to control our every move!

May 1 at 1:44pm · Report

Henry L. Johns Well put Ms Davis!

May 1 at 12:43pm · Report

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