American College of Chest Physicians Polysomnography Licensure Position Statement

The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) is a multidisciplinary medical specialty society, with more than 16,700 members who focus on diseases of the chest, including the specialties of pulmonology and sleep medicine. The ACCP’s core mission is to provide education for its members with the goal of upholding the highest standard of care possible for patients. The ACCP only supports non-exclusionary legislation that requires rigorous, unbiased, and independent training, accreditation, and credentialing, conforming to accepted national standards.

The ACCP recognizes the need for state regulation for individuals who provide sleep medicine diagnostic and therapeutic services. The purpose should always be to ensure quality patient care and safety, whether the legislation is focused on physicians or allied health professionals. Any legislation that lowers carefully crafted standards will undermine patient safety and impede the provision of programs that allow formally trained technologists to enter the discipline of sleep disorders medicine.

Currently, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the nationally recognized accreditation body for educational programs for various allied health professionals, provides unbiased oversight of the educational process for polysomnographic technologists. Licensure for polysomnographic personnel must require attendance at an education and training program accredited by CAAHEP through one of its member Committees on Accreditation, namely CoAPSG (polysomnography), CoARC (respiratory care), or CoAEND (electroneurodiagnostic technology). Educational programs such as the AASM-A-STEP (American Academy of Sleep Medicine - Accredited Sleep Technology Program) were designed as stop-gap measures to maintain a workforce flow in regions where CAAHEP accreditation programs are not readily available. This type of program is a temporary measure and should not become a primary path of access to testing for credentialing.

Competency testing for the credentialing of individuals performing polysomnography ensures the knowledge level of technologists entering the field. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accreditation body of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) and establishes standards for credentialing agencies. Acceptable credentials must be those granted through validated examinations administered by NCCA accredited credentialing organizations, such as the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), or an equivalent entity. Additional certification beyond those of the relevant allied health disciplines must not be required.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and The Joint Commission accredit sleep centers to ensure high patient care standards are met. Access to diagnosis and treatment for patients with sleep disorders is critical. No barriers should be permitted. Legislation that upholds both the highest facility standards to insure accurate diagnosis, as well as the highest credentialing standards to insure appropriate treatment, is in the best interest of our patients.