New telemedicine system Tell A Sleep Doc expands patient access to sleep care

Today the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) announced that sleep medicine practices nationwide now can sign up for Tell A Sleep Doc, a new state-of-the-art telemedicine platform that will dramatically increase patient access to high quality health care provided by board-certified sleep medicine physicians and accredited sleep centers. Sleep practices that sign up for Tell A Sleep Doc in December will have time to become familiar with all of the system's features prior to its public launch on Jan. 4, 2016.

Custom-built by the AASM, Tell A Sleep Doc provides a comprehensive telemedicine solution for the field of sleep medicine. A core component of the system is a secure, web-based video platform that facilitates live, interactive consultations and follow-up visits between patients and sleep medicine providers, regardless of distance. Tell A Sleep Doc also features an interactive sleep diary, sleep log and sleep questionnaires, and the system syncs with Fitbit sleep data, giving sleep physicians an unparalleled view of their patients' sleep habits.

"As the first telemedicine system designed by a professional society for the specific needs of a medical subspecialty, Tell A Sleep Doc is a game-changer for people who are suffering from a sleep disease," said AASM President Dr. Nathaniel Watson. "Throughout the country, including underserved urban communities and remote rural areas, patients will gain convenient access to the expertise of sleep specialists through Tell A Sleep Doc."

About 70 million Americans suffer from sleep problems, and nearly 60 percent of them have a chronic disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea or insomnia. Untreated sleep disorders are associated with increased risks for numerous medical complications, including hypertension, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and depression. The effective treatment of a sleep disorder also is essential to prevent excessive daytime sleepiness, reduced alertness and impaired cognitive functioning, which can contribute to workplace accidents and drowsy driving.

"The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has been the leader in sleep medicine for the past 40 years, and we remain committed to our vision of achieving optimal health through better sleep," said Watson. "The introduction of Tell A Sleep Doc represents the dawn of a new era in sleep medicine. This innovative telemedicine system will significantly enhance the ability of sleep specialists to provide value-based, patient-centered care to people across the U.S."

Sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty with a biennial board certification exam provided by six member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). To date more than 5,600 physicians have been certified in sleep medicine by a specialty board of the ABMS. The AASM accredited a sleep center for the first time in 1977, and today there are more than 2,500 AASM accredited sleep centers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.