Tennessee Sleep Society
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NEWS


Tennessee Board of Respiratory Care Regulation for Third Pathway

 

In June, the Tennessee Board of Respiratory Care (TBRC) issued an emergency regulation outlining the specific requirements a respiratory therapist must complete to perform sleep care services pursuant to the Tennessee Polysomnography Practice Act. The Act mandated that a respiratory therapist fulfill one of the following requirements before performing any sleep care procedures:

 

1.         Credentialed as a registered polysomnographic technologist by the board of polysomnographic technologists (BRPT), or;

2.         Credentialed as a sleep disorders specialist by the national board for respiratory care (NBRC-SDS), or;

3.         Have undergone a standardized, uniform mechanism to document competency in polysomnography as approved by the TBRC.

 

The emergency regulation set the standards for what fulfilled the third option:

 

  • Proof of completion of the sleep center/sleep lab competency checklist, as approved by this Board, signed by both the director of the sleep center or sleep lab and medical director from a current employing facility, verifying a minimum of one hundred (100) hours in a sleep center or sleep lab.
    • Raise the 100 hour education minimum; 
      • Expand the hour requirement to be consistent with the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) Sleep Disorders Specialist designation.
  • Require completion of education in an accredited sleep center;
    • To ensure that the highest quality of care is delivered to patients with a sleep disorders.
  • Have the competency checklist signed by Board Certified Sleep Physician.
    • A board-certified sleep physician has a full understanding of sleep procedures and the ability to determine if the respiratory therapist is competent in performing sleep diagnostic testing procedures.

 

The Tennessee Sleep Society (TSS), American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) were very concerned with the low number of hours a respiratory therapist needed to complete to be deemed qualified to perform sleep care services. Concerns were also noted over where the observed hours occurred and the qualifications needed to verify competence. 

 

The TSS, AASM, and AAST worked closely together in submitting comments to the TBRC on this important issue. A letter was submitted to the TBRC requesting incorporating certain amendments to:

 

 

On November 10th, the TBRC conducted a hearing to discuss the third pathway. The TBRC decided:

 

1.         To expand the hour requirement to be consistent with the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) Sleep Disorders Specialist designation.  A CRT would be required to complete 504 hours and an RRT would be required to complete 252 hours.

2.         The Board did not accept that the physician should be Board Certified in sleep.

3.         The Board did not accept that experience should be achieved in an accredited sleep care facility.

 

The TBRC will present the proposed changes during their meeting on February 10, 2011. After the meeting, the TBRC will accept all public comments regarding the proposed changes. The TBRC will then conduct a vote during their May 12 meeting on whether to accept or reject the proposal. 

 

The TSS will send a communication to our members after the February meeting to:

 

1.         Provide you a summary of the Board meeting; and

2.         Alert our members if any action is needed on this matter.

 

If you have any questions or need further information please contact Dr. Brevard Haynes at JBHAYNES@aol.com.

 

Thank you,

 

TSS Board of Directors