Accreditation for Cardiology Practices
Integrating Home Sleep Testing, Improving the Bottom-Line
A quality-of-care solution for cardiologists who regularly encounter patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and patients who may need treatment for OSA prior to, or after a cardiovascular procedure.
Dedicated Accreditation Support
A dedicated AASM accreditation coordinator will be assigned to you right from the start. Your coordinator will address your questions, facilitate the application process, and be available to resolve any issues throughout your accreditation term.
Seamless Submission Process
The online digital accreditation application will clearly show what needs to be submitted and help move you through each milestone of the accreditation process.
Promote Your Accredited Practice
Once accredited, your practice will be included in the popular “Find a Physician” tool on sleepeducation.org and you’ll have access to a press release template to demonstrate to patients, other providers and payers the quality care you provide.
30 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea.
85%
Of people with treatment-resistant hypertension also have sleep apnea.
58%
Of middle-aged men with severe sleep apnea have an increased risk of developing heart failure.
50%
Of diagnosed patients go untreated.
2X-4Xs
Higher risk of atrial fibrillation found in people who suffer from sleep apnea.
30-40%
Of people with high blood pressure have obstructive sleep apnea.
2Xs
Higher risk of having a stroke for people with severe, untreated sleep apnea.
A Robust and Beneficial Partnership
This multidisciplinary partnership is the best way to expedite patient continuity of care and demonstrate to both patients and payers that the highest quality care is delivered in the pursuit of both heart health and sleep health.
Benefits for Cardiologists
- The connection between sleep apnea and heart health makes AASM cardiology practice accreditation the right solution for all cardiology practices dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered care.
- The multidisciplinary approach in partnership with an AASM Accredited Sleep Center enhances patient confidence and outcomes and improves the continuity and efficiency of patient care.
- Accreditation validates that the practice has met AASM’s rigorous quality standards for patient care, differentiating the practice within their local community.
- Promoting cardiology practices earning the cardiology practice accreditation are featured through the AASM and its affiliated websites, including SleepEducation.com
Benefits for Sleep Centers
- Ensures that sleep centers and board-certified sleep specialists are at the center of managing patients with sleep disorders.
- Demonstrates the desire to improve collaboration between other health care partners for the benefit of improved sleep care access and patient health.
- Collaboration between other health care partners will increase referrals to the sleep center for in-center testing and to board-certified sleep specialists for management of sleep disorders, resulting in higher patient volume and increased service reimbursements.
Benefits for Administrators
- The reduced wait times for cardiology practices with access to home sleep apnea testing can help reduce wait times for diagnostic testing, ensuring that patients get timely care.
- Timely testing and diagnoses of sleep apnea in cardiology patients can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, potentially preventing cardiovascular complications.
- Increased availability of home sleep apnea testing in cardiology practices improves patient access to essential diagnostics, especially in regions without sleep clinics or specialists.
- Simplified diagnostic processesenable patients to address both their heart and sleep conditions in a single healthcare setting, yielding more efficient and coordinated quality care.
40-80% of patients with cardiovascular disease are more likely to have comorbid obstructive sleep apnea.
“People who have severe, untreated obstructive sleep apnea have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease. By encouraging cardiologists to screen and test for sleep apnea, we can work together to reduce the burden of undiagnosed sleep apnea while enhancing both sleep health and heart health.”
Raman Malhotra, MD | AASM President 2022
One-Time Initial Accreditation Application Fee
Non-Sleep Clinic: $500
HSAT Diagnostic: $4,500
* Newly accredited practices receive one year of complimentary network membership.
- 5 Year Term (or $900/year)
- Add additional accredited location(s) at a lower rate of $500/each
Submit Your Application
This multidisciplinary partnership is the best way to expedite patient continuity of care and demonstrate to both patients and payers that the highest quality care is delivered in the pursuit of both heart health and sleep health.
Standards for Cardiology Practices
Learn More
Learn more about how AASM’s cardiology practice accreditation can add value to your site and enhance your patients’ treatment by calling (630) 737-9700 or filling out our contact form, and a friendly representative will reach out to you.
Specialty Practice Accreditation
Cardiology Practice FAQs
What must a cardiology practice do to be eligible for accreditation?
A cardiology practice conducts screenings for sleep apnea, orders Home Sleep Apnea Tests (HSAT) for individuals at risk, either administers the HSAT or refers patients to an AASM-accredited sleep center for testing and facilitates the treatment and management of sleep apnea through collaboration with an AASM-accredited sleep center.
What are the costs associated with accrediting my cardiology practice?
Accreditation is $4500 for a new application. The Accreditation fee is limited to a single practice/cardiology clinic location. Additional clinic locations of the same Cardiology Practice may be added for an additional $500 each.
What are the staff requirements for a Cardiology Practice?
The standards require a single Medical Director who is a designated physician licensed in the state where the Cardiology Practice is located.
Medical staff members may include physicians, licensed psychologists, APRN, and physician assistants that hold a valid, unrestricted state license in the state where patients are evaluated, diagnosed, or treated. All medical staff members that utilize HSAT must be appropriately trained in the indications for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and HSAT.
Technical staff members must maintain appropriately trained, supervised, and, where required by law, licensed personnel. Technical staff must be trained on the proper use of HSAT devices including device operations, application of sensors, use, maintenance, warnings and safety; instruction of patients in the use of HSAT devices; troubleshooting of HSAT problems; and Infection control.
Scoring personnel must be one of the following: RST, RPSGT, CPSGT, respiratory therapists with the sleep disorders specialist certification (either CRT-SDS or RRT-SDS), or medical staff members/PhDs board-certified in sleep medicine.
What do medical staff members need to be trained on? How do I show evidence of this training?
All medical staff members who utilize HSAT (e.g., screening for OSA, ordering HSAT) must be appropriately trained in the indications for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and HSAT.
An attestation letter is requested for all medical staff members stating that they are trained in the indications for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and HSAT.
What staff need continuing education?
Scoring personnel must each participate in at least 30 credits (averaged 10 credits per year over the past 36 months) of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit or CEC sleep-related educational activities. This must be documented for each scoring personnel member.
What do technical staff members need to be trained on? How do I show evidence of this training?
Technical staff is any staff member who provides training on proper use of HSAT devices and performs the following duties:
- Device operations, application of sensors, use, maintenance, warnings and safety;
- Instruction of patients in the use of HSAT devices;
- Troubleshooting of HSAT problems; and
- Infection control.
An attestation letter is requested for all technical staff members indicating they have been trained on the aforementioned duties.
Who can order a Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT)?
Only licensed physicians who are owners of, or employed by, the Cardiology Practice can order HSATs based on the overall assessment of the patient. Prior to ordering HSAT, the patient must be eligible based upon the criteria of the practice’s patient acceptance policy as identified in Standard C-2 Patient Acceptance.
Can direct referrals be accepted?
Patients of the Cardiology Practice can only be tested. Patients directly referred to the Specialty Practice from another entity cannot be tested.
The Cardiology Practice is not equipped to manage patients with sleep disorders. How do tested patients receive ongoing care?
Per Standard G-2 Sleep Center Relationship, the Specialty Practice must demonstrate, in writing, an existing relationship with an accessible AASM-accredited sleep center that will provide full diagnostic sleep testing in a laboratory to Cardiology Practice patients when needed and that will provide treatment and follow-up for all Cardiology Practice patients who require treatment and/or management for sleep disorders. All treatment and management of identified sleep disorders must be referred to the associated sleep center.
The Cardiology Practice must be able to provide documentation that the patients referred to the AASM-accredited sleep center are receiving treatment and follow up (i.e., when treatment was initiated, treatment compliance, and ongoing treatment assessments/outcomes).
In-center polysomnography at an AASM-accredited sleep center must be recommended in cases where adequately performed HSAT does not establish the diagnosis of OSA in patients with a high pre-test probability.
How does the cardiology practice collect data from the AASM accredited sleep program to adhere to patient management and quality assurance standards?
Examples for efficiently gathering data between the Specialty Practice and the AASM-accredited Sleep Center include utilizing a data collection form at follow-up visits to be a part of the medical record and provided to the Sleep Practice monthly/quarterly. Alternatively, developing a means to access the Accredited Sleep Center’s EMR to pull data.
What information must be kept in my Medical Records?
All Specialty Practices must maintain appropriate medical records for every sleep patient evaluated and/or tested by the program. Medical records of patients seen by medical staff members must document all interactions with the patient, referring provider or provider’s representative, and insurance company. Medical records must include the referral letter/prescription for HSAT testing, with or without consultation by medical staff members of the Specialty Practice. Prior to testing, all patient medical records must include patient questionnaires or other screening assessment, history and physical, as well as medications record. The record must be reviewed and approved for study by an appropriately licensed medical staff member.
How long must the Cardiology Practice store the raw data from the Home Sleep Apnea Test?
The Cardiology Practice must store the raw data from HSATs for a minimum of five years or as required by law if longer.
How do I obtain the data for my quality assurance program?
The data can be retrieved from the AASM-accredited sleep center or the Cardiology Practice. The AASM-accredited lab may use a data collection form at the follow-up visit and include this information as part of the medical record and provide it to the Cardiology Practice on a monthly /quarterly basis.