Sleep disorders centers and laboratories for sleep related breathing disorders seek accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to demonstrate that they meet the highest standards of quality patient care.
AASM accreditation is the gold standard by which the medical community and the public can evaluate sleep medicine services. The Standards for Accreditation ensure that sleep medicine providers display and maintain proficiency in areas such as testing procedures and policies, patient safety and follow-up, and physician and staff training.
The AASM also encourages Medicare and private health insurance providers to link the reimbursement of sleep services to AASM accreditation. Recognizing that accreditation leads to improvements in patient care, many of these providers now cover sleep services only if they are performed in an AASM-accredited facility. This requirement promotes a consistent level of excellence in the provision of sleep medicine services nationwide.
The first sleep disorders center was accredited in 1977, and now nearly 1,800 AASM-accredited sleep disorders centers and laboratories for sleep related breathing disorders are providing trusted medical assistance in communities across the country.
Accreditation is offered at the posted fee to those sleep centers and/or sleep related breathing laboratories residing in the continental 48 states of the U.S. Accreditation for facilities in Hawaii and Alaska will be offered under the standard guidelines; however, actual costs in excess of the posted accreditation fee will be assessed dependent on available travel and accommodations. Accreditation of sleep centers and/or sleep related breathing laboratories outside the continental U.S. (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) will be considered based on availability of personnel to review and conduct a site visit, and actual costs, dependent on the location of the facility, will be assessed in addition to the posted fee. You may contact the accreditation department for more information.
Please be aware that facilities that are undergoing a significant change such as relocation or change in ownership status must notify the AASM. In most circumstances, a center or laboratory will be required, under the special circumstances section of the application, to submit a complete application. Applications fees will be waived. The facility will receive a 90-day extension of accreditation while the application is being reviewed. This will be followed by a site visit, the direct costs of which will be paid by the facility. The report of the site visitor will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and, if approved, accreditation will continue through the original term. Please review the Special Circumstances section of the Application for Accreditation for more information.
Select one of these links to learn more about AASM accreditation:
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ACCREDITATION APPLICATION
Download the accreditation application.
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ACCREDITATION RESOURCES
Visit the AASM online store to purchase accreditation related materials.
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PROCESS
Get an overview of the entire process of applying for accreditation.
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STANDARDS
Learn more about the accreditation standards for both sleep disorders centers and laboratories for sleep related breathing disorders.
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LABORATORY ACCREDITATION
Get information about the future of AASM laboratory accreditation.
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PROVISIONAL ACCREDITATION
Discover how provisional accreditation helps new facilities that are not yet able to meet all the accreditation standards.
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FAQs
Find answers to frequently-asked questions about the accreditation process.
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BROCHURE
Download a brochure that describes the accreditation process in detail.
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