CHEST Guidelines-A-Sleep-Medicine-Curriculum-for-Pulmonary-and-Pulm

A-Sleep-Medicine-Curriculum-for-Pulmonary-and-Pulm

Pdf Summary

The report highlights a need to enhance sleep medicine education within pulmonary and pulmonary/critical care fellowship programs to address the increasing gap in the management of sleep disorders. Despite the growing prevalence of sleep conditions, many specialized training slots in sleep medicine remain unfilled. Consequently, pulmonary specialists often manage sleep disorders, necessitating a comprehensive curriculum to equip them with relevant skills.<br /><br />The multisociety panel conducted surveys among fellowship program directors and recent graduates to evaluate the current state of sleep medicine education and its application. Based on the survey results, a modified Delphi process helped develop curricular recommendations. The panel identified 52 necessary competencies for pulmonary training programs.<br /><br />Pulmonary specialists are increasingly handling conditions like insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome, conditions not traditionally linked to respiratory medicine. The curriculum emphasizes understanding sleep-related respiratory and cardiovascular physiology, sleep disorders' classification, and management strategies including the use of positive airway pressure and other therapeutic methods. Additionally, it includes competencies in interpreting sleep tests such as polysomnography and home sleep apnea testing.<br /><br />The aim is to equip fellows with a broad understanding of both respiratory and non-respiratory sleep disorders to improve patient management. Program directors can use these recommendations as a framework to ensure comprehensive sleep medicine education, acknowledging that their integration into existing curricula could be challenging. The report underscores the importance of adapting training to encompass these competencies, ensuring pulmonary specialists can meet the increasing demands for managing sleep disorders effectively. This curriculum serves not as a mandate but as a guide to enrich pulmonary training programs.

Keywords

sleep medicine education

pulmonary fellowship programs

sleep disorders management

curriculum development

Delphi process

pulmonary specialists

insomnia

polysomnography

positive airway pressure

training competencies