With increased use of telemedicine, how reliable are video evaluations for obstructive sleep apnea? Today’s guest, Dr. Michael Yurcheshen, recently published a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine comparing telemedicine to in-person assessments for sleep-disordered breathing. He discusses his findings, shares tips on how to conduct the best video exam and explores how telemedicine can be leveraged in the future.

In this episode, we review the recently released AASM clinical practice guideline for treatment of central disorders of hypersomnolence. We talk with Dr. Kiran Maski, chair of the AASM task force that developed the guideline, about the data-driven treatment recommendations as well as future research directions, the challenges of diagnosing hypersomnias, and the potential of sleep biomarkers.

Sleep medicine is a diverse profession, and the AASM strives to be representative and inclusive of all backgrounds and perspectives. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Andrew Spector, chair of the AASM’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, about the Academy’s efforts to identify and eliminate barriers to inclusion, support initiatives for better diversity, and work to reduce health care disparities.

In this episode, we review the CPAP technology assessment draft report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the AASM-led response. Our guest Dr. Susheel Patil highlights key findings of the report, where the Academy and its partners think it falls short, and how it could ultimately move the field forward by setting the stage for future research priorities.

Obstructive sleep apnea affects 40-50% of children with Down syndrome; however, access to care, diagnosis, and treatment of OSA presents many challenges. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ignacio Tapia, a pediatric sleep specialist whose research aims to increase access to sleep care for special needs’ patients, leverage home sleep apnea tests and improve PAP adherence through programs benefiting patients and their families.

Improving health outcomes and health systems requires new ways of thinking. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Azizi Seixas, an assistant professor in the Departments of Population Health and Psychiatry at NYU Langone and chair of the recent AASM Sleep Medicine Disruptors meeting, about leveraging disruption to be more efficient, develop new solutions and better engage with and care for people in our communities.  

The apnea-hypopnea index is one of the most debated measures of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. In this episode, we talk with Drs. Daniel Gottlieb and Douglas Kirsch about a new research statement from the Sleep Research Society that explores the strengths and weaknesses of the AHI and considers other measures to determine OSA risk and treatment options.

From AI-assisted scoring to personalized sleep treatments, artificial intelligence has incredible potential in sleep medicine. In this episode, we talk to AASM AI committee members Dr. Anuja Bandyopadhyay and Sam Rusk to learn more about current and future applications of AI, the value to patients, and plans for an AASM certification program to validate and standardize AI scoring software.

Consumer-oriented sleep trackers are increasing in popularity and provide an opportunity to educate users about the importance of healthy sleep, says Dr. Logan Schneider, co-director of the Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Research Center and a tech consultant. In this episode, Dr. Schneider discusses the benefits of sleep tech to consumers and clinicians and his involvement in developing Google’s new sleep tracking device.

In this episode of Talking Sleep, we sit down with Loretta Colvin, APRN, to learn more about the role of advanced practice providers in the sleep medicine practice, how APPs collaborate with physicians to provide patient care, and how to incorporate these valuable team members into a practice to expand services and improve access to care.