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Not Enough Sleep Techs? AASM Thinks So

BRPT President Janice East Open Letter to BRPT Credential Holders Dated today, January 19, 2011:
 
To my fellow BRPT credential holders:


We have been notified that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has decided to develop a certification exam for sleep technologists, and I believe that decision will concern you as much as it concerns me. AASM has been very clear: a primary goal is to produce a test that will be easier to pass.

 

The RPSGT credential earned from the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) is not only a confirmation of hard work and commitment to our profession. The RPSGT exam, accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), represents the gold standard in our profession and supports and sustains the professional standing we enjoy with state and federal regulators, under reimbursement guidelines for Medicare and Medicaid, and within the broader allied health community.  More than 17,000 sleep technologists have earned the RPSGT credential since the RPSGT exam was introduced 32 years ago.


We have been working closely over the past three years with AASM to address AASM’s concern that too few technologists are passing the RPSGT exam, resulting in an unmet demand for new certified technologists. In fact, we invested over $100,000 to launch the Certified Polysomnographic Technician (CPSGT) exam last year in response to a direct request from the AASM leadership.  The CPSGT exam was developed in close collaboration with representatives of both AASM and the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) and was positioned as the first step in a tiered credentialing program for sleep professionals leading to the RPSGT credential.  


On December 17, 2010 -- barely nine months after the CPSGT exam was introduced -- we received a letter from the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) informing us that the AASM Board had voted to develop its own certification exam for sleep technologists to be administered through the ABSM . The letter reiterated the AASM concern that the RPSGT passing score is set too high. The letter went on to make two disturbing claims that reflect poorly on RPSGTs, noting that “sleep physicians who are medical directors of sleep centers have expressed concern that certification by the BRPT does not ensure professional readiness” and that “the BRPT examination does not test the basic knowledge necessary to perform sleep studies.” We have asked specifically for data to support these assertions.
 
I am reaching out to you today because we fear the development of a new certification exam for sleep technologists, developed under the direction of a physician-led organization and with a stated goal of producing a high pass rate, will lead to two very different levels of professional credentialing in sleep technology. That development will be viewed by other medical and allied health professionals and state and federal regulators as reducing the high standards that have helped advance our profession.
 
 
I want to know your feelings about the development of a new certification exam for sleep technologists.  I am asking you to reach out to BRPT with your thoughts. This link (embed link) will take you directly to the BRPT credential holders message board on www.brpt.org. Click on this link (embed link) to review the letter forwarded to BRPT by the ABSM and to read the BRPT response. I urge you to join this conversation and be heard on this critical issue.
 
Sincerely,
 
Janice East, RPSGT, R. EEG T.
President

Views: 1472

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris H on January 30, 2011 at 3:32pm
Hey ! This is not cool . Why cant we all just get along. and have a cohesive comprehensive organization of adult professionals on the same playing field. Any other industry has levels and benchmark certifications that must be passed in order to do the job.( ie electrician) I think people like DW whom at this point have more experiance and instinct should be tapped to set the level tests .I trust him and those like him. I want as a patient to have his caliber of excellance looking over my numbers because with out a good read my doc is  limited .Good Sleep,Chris
Permalink Reply by Rooster on February 2, 2011 at 4:08pm

 

Reply by j n k 5 hours ago

Thought from a doc on the importance of how sleep techs do what they do and how being a good tech, in some ways, may have as much, if not more, to do with personality than education:

 

http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/articles/2009-07_06.asp

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That is consistent with what I posted earlier in this discussion:

Rooster said: For a sleep tech I would look for someone who is reliable, consistent, has the personality to perform a boring job, likes working with patients, will show up for work every night, and will not cause problems when not fully occupied; and someone who does not imagine he is an important doctor. The personality and motivation of the sleep tech is most important along with some basic training in the equipment use and bedside manner.

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Of course this is also true in most professions. Find a pool of candidates who have only the basic skill and education required for the job. This is the easy part. Then the hard part of evaluating personality is critical.

 

I have been hiring, firing, and promoting for almost 40 years. Fortunately early in my career I read a book by a Dr. Snow detailing his technique for interviewing and evaluating job candidates. The entire processing is open-ended questions and listening techniques. The idea is to get the candidate to reveal what his personality will be on the job.

 

The technique was highly successful for me. I often passed over PhDs for Masters, Masters for Bachelors, and Bachelors for HS grads based on personality. Parts of my staff had a good certification program by an independent body. I had no problem passing over a certified candidate for a noncertified candidate with the right personality.

 

I had the same experience in the three nights I spend in a sleep lab. The technicians the first two nights were obviously better educated and better technically trained than the third one. But the one the third night was a pleasure to work with and, despite being reprimanded by the doctor for some technical problems, got done everything I needed that night. I would not hesitate to recommend her to others. (Of course they should first consider a HST. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Rooster on February 2, 2011 at 10:44pm


j n k said:

Rooster may be evil, but always entertainingly so! :-)

 

I hope you would hire me, Rooster.

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Absolutely, I would hire you without hesitation. It would be a sure win for me because 1. you would be a great employee or

 2. I would have the pleasure of firing you. :)

 

 

 

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