DENVER -- Telemedicine is a potentially game-changing strategy for treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, but it is not yet widely utilized, an expert reported here.
Uncertainty about reimbursement remains a major roadblock to the wider use of telemedicine in sleep medicine, said , of Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Singh spoke about the potential for telemedicine to improve patient outreach and outcomes in an afternoon session delivered June 14 at SLEEP 2016, the 30th anniversary meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). He also co-authored a recently published in support of its use in the field.
"Telemedicine is coming, and if we as sleep providers don't offer it, someone else will," he said.
In an interview with 51˶, Singh said while reimbursement models have not been quick to adopt telemedicine, he expects that to change over the next few years.
"Sleep medicine is more suited to telemedicine than many other specialties because we don't rely as much on the physical examination of the patient," he said. "A lot of what we learn about a patient comes from talking with them and taking their history."
He added that obstructive sleep apnea patients on positive airway pressure therapy are already being monitored electronically through software that downloads information on treatment compliance and efficacy to medical providers.
In his presentation at the gathering of sleep specialists, Singh said the delivery of sleep treatments via telemedicine is specially well suited for use in rural areas, where many patients do not have access to sleep specialists or other specialists.
Pulmonologist , of the Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, Kansas, agreed.
"I practice in central Kansas, and I do outreach for two hours in any direction," he told 51˶. "It is very difficult and I spend a lot of time traveling instead of treating patients."
Singh noted that while telemedicine is an effective method of delivering sleep treatments to many patients, those with complex medical conditions may still require in-person office visits. He added that some patients may not be comfortable with the idea of receiving treatment via Skype or other video communication services.
He added that FaceTime and iPhones should not be used because, as yet, neither has adaptions to allow for compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy law.
Video communication with patients, their families, and other caregivers; electronic medical records; remote interpretation of diagnostic studies; PAP downloads; and electronic stethoscopes are telemedicine tools.
"Just as in many other specialties, we don't have enough providers to manage the population that needs treatment," Singh said. "Telemedicine is poised to help us address this shortage."
Disclosures
Singh reported no conflicts of interest related to this presentation.
Primary Source
SLEEP 2016
Singh J "Sleep telemedicine: are our heads in the clouds" SLEEP 2016.