Forecasting the future of sleep technology
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Thursday, October 31, 2013
A survey of 107 program directors of nationally accredited polysomnography, electroneurodiagnostic technology, and respiratory care educational programs assessed the community and educational needs for sleep technologists. Results show that 74 percent agreed that demand for qualified sleep technologists will increase, and 50 percent believe that there are not enough educational programs to meet the demand. However, a commentary cautions that the demand for sleep technologists may decrease due to a national shift to home sleep testing, which may produce a contraction of sleep laboratories. The commentary advises current sleep technologists to focus on learning new sleep-specific skills to keep pace with the evolving climate in sleep medicine. The survey results and commentary are published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.