Recommendations for permanent sleep telehealth: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement.

Abstract

Telehealth use greatly expanded under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waivers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the uncertainty and limitations of continued coverage risks loss of this momentum. Permanent coverage with adequate reimbursement is essential for the long-term acceptance and expansion of telehealth services. Telehealth supports both the current and future need for sleep health management by expanding patient access, increasing clinician efficiency, improving patient safety, and addressing health care equity. Sleep medicine is an ideal field for telehealth due to limited provider access, safety concerns with sleepy patients, availability of remote patient monitoring for treatment management, and the minimal need for repeated physical examinations. Telehealth is non-inferior for delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and can enhance obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment adherence. It is the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) that telehealth is an essential tool for the provision of high quality, patient-centered care for patients with sleep disorders. We encourage all stakeholders including legislators, policymakers, clinicians, and patients to work together to address payment models, interstate care, technology access, prescribing practices, and ongoing research to ensure that sleep telehealth services are permanently available and accessible for all patients seeking sleep medicine care.