Innovation in technology is redefining the world, including health care. Patients want convenient and quality interactions with their providers. check details The addition of telemedicine technologies and asynchronous provider-to-patient communications is creating a more connected model of health care that will improve access and the value of care while decreasing costs, as well as enabling patients to participate more directly in their own care. As new technologies and new models of care continue to emerge, providers need to continue to monitor the rapidly changing landscape of telemedicine coding and reimbursement. Telehealth coding and reimbursement rules are payor and state dependent.Sleep telemedicine practitioners must ensure their practice complies with all applicable institutional, state, and federal regulations. Providers must be licensed in any state in which they provide care, have undergone credentialing and privileging procedures at outside facilities, and avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest while providing that care. Internet-based prescribing remains limited to certain circumstances. Whether or not a malpractice insurance policy covers telemedicine depends on the insurer, especially if interstate care is provided. All telemedicine programs must protect patient health information. Similarly, bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice apply to both in-person and telemedicine-based care.Consumer sleep technologies have rapidly evolved from wrist-worn activity trackers to multisensory products. These technologies reflect a widespread interest in sleep health, and their ubiquitous ownership allows for remote sleep monitoring. Therefore, these technologies may play a valuable role in telemedicine. However, clinical usefulness remains contested and is limited by a lack of transparency in data acquisition and analysis, and uncertain accuracy of consumer sleep technology-derived sleep metrics. Collaboration between manufacturers, sleep scientists, and clinical sleep medicine teams is required to produce useable, verified technologies that can enhance and personalize the care of patients with sleep disorders.Insomnia is a significant public health concern. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is considered first-line treatment. The use of telemedicine for CBT-i allows for increased access to providers for patients who are geographically remote as well as to self-directed CBT-i modalities that do not require the involvement of a therapist. Tele-CBT-i modalities include video conferencing with a CBT-i therapist in an individual or group setting or use of Web or mobile application-based CBT-i modules with varying levels of support from a therapist. Multiple studies and meta-analyses support the efficacy of tele-CBT-i when compared with face-to-face CBT-i and placebo.Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy integration is a component of electronic health record (EHR) sleep medicine optimization. EHR optimization facilitates telehealth in continuous care population health. A coordinated care plan can leverage early telehealth interventions.Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) telehealth management may improve initial and chronic care access, time to diagnosis and treatment, between-visit care, e-communications and e-education, workflows, costs, and therapy outcomes. OSA telehealth options may be used to replace or supplement none, some, or all steps in the evaluation, testing, treatments, and management of OSA. All telehealth steps must adhere to OSA guidelines. OSA telehealth may be adapted for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and non-CPAP treatments. E-data collection enhances uses for individual and group analytics, phenotyping, testing and treatment selections, high-risk identification and targeted support, and comparative and multispecialty therapy studies.Synchronous telemedicine allows clinicians to expand their reach by using technology to take care of patients who otherwise may not be seen. Establishing a telemedicine practice can be daunting. This article outlines how to implement a synchronous telemedicine practice into an existing workflow. Telemedicine-specific considerations are discussed, as well as guidance regarding practice assessment, financial feasibility, technical considerations, and clinical guidance to translate in-person visit skills into an effective virtual visit.Telemedicine is about more than simply using audio-visual technology to care for patients, but rather an opportunity to fundamentally improve patient access, quality, efficiencies, and experience. Regarding sleep medicine, it has the potential to drive sleep medicine's evolution. By enabling care across geographies and facilitating population-based management, sleep medicine is poised to take advantage of telemedicine capabilities. In this introductory chapter, we highlight issues related to sleep telemedicine, while providing a framework in which to approach this transformational journey thoughtfully. We thereby set the stage for the individual chapters in this edition of Sleep Medicine Clinics.Appending a Citation Diversity Statement to a paper is a simple and effective way to increase awareness about citation bias and help mitigate it. Here, we describe why reducing citation bias is important and how to include a Citation Diversity Statement in your next publication.The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented healthcare crisis with various governmental healthcare policies enforced to redirect medical prioritization and minimize the spread of COVID19 infection. Recognizing that the COVID-19 crisis will be protracted, it is important that clinicians and the healthcare industry continue to adapt existing resources and review contingency plan amidst this uncertain and difficult times. The Asia Pacific Society of Sexual Medicine supports ongoing precautionary healthcare measures implemented by various institutions and governmental policies to contain and eliminate COVID19 infection. Clinicians are encouraged to modify and adapt various strategies that will continue to provide, support, and treat sexual health-related conditions in a safe and efficient manner. Chung E, Jiann BP, Nagao L, et al. Provision of Sexual Medicine Services During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic An Asia Pacific Society of Sexual Medicine Position Statement. J Sex Med 2020;8325-326.check details
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