Many patients will not seek testing and treatment for a sleep disorder because they do not want to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) which was, until recently, the gold standard of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep practitioners need to know about all treatments available for these patients and understand how to complete the requirements for insurance and Medicare to cover treatments such as oral airway appliances. They need to learn about the various kinds of appliances available and how to determine if treatment is necessary.

Sleep practitioners are not necessarily business experts and with ongoing reduction in reimbursement for sleep testing and treatment, information is needed to help keep their practices viable and high quality. Experts in the management of successful sleep practices are rare as sleep medicine is a small specialty and not the most lucrative and yet 10-20 percent of the United States population is estimated to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. A larger amount suffer from insomnia. These disorders directly impact all over health of the patient. Helping sleep practitioners run an efficient practice keeps them in business so patients can get the help they need without waiting an undue amount of timing or having to travel hours to get diagnosed and treated.

Patients often fail CPAP, oral appliance therapy, other surgical interventions and weight loss attempts to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Neuromodulation has been in practice by a very few practitioners since it was approved seven years ago, yet the procedure has been highly successful in treating OSA patients. More practitioners needs to know about the procedure and determine whether it may be appropriate for patients.

Adaptive servo-ventilation is the only successful treatment for certain patients diagnosed with central sleep apnea. Following reports that the treatment increased the mortality of patients, it was determined which patients it is inappropriate for. The most updated information available is necessary to make certain patients that would benefit from this treatment are being identified and treated and that those that do not meet the criteria are not being prescribed it.

There are many smartphone applications and technology available that are not appropriate for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders and many that would improve treatment. Practitioners need guidance in how to choose and utilize the proper technology.

Telemedicine is being used in sleep medicine to treat patients but as a relatively new technology in sleep medicine, practitioners need information on how and when this telemedicine is appropriate.

ACCME Accreditation Statement:
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Sleep Society. The Medical College of Wisconsin is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement:
The Medical College of Wisconsin designates this Enduring material for a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Hours of Participation for Allied Health Care Professionals:
The Medical College of Wisconsin designates this activity for up to 6.0 hours of participation for continuing education for allied health professionals.