On July 15, the American Sleep Academy (ASA), South Jordan, Utah, sent an e-mail to sleep professionals advertising an “ASTEP Module Equivalency.” The e-mail stated, “Don’t jeopardize your Lab’s Accreditation Status. Enroll in the ASA Modules now and be eligible to sit for the BRPT Exam.”
Two days later, in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) weekly update to members, the AASM responded to the ASA’s claim of ASTEP equivalency.
In the article titled “Warning: New Program Falsely Claims Equivalency to A-STEP,” the AASM wrote:
“It has come to the attention of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) that an organization identifying itself as ‘the American Sleep Academy’—which is in no way associated with or endorsed by the AASM—is offering a new program that it advertises as an ‘ASTEP Module Equivalency.’ This organization’s materials further claim that ‘All Technicians working in Accredited Institutions MUST be enrolled in an ASTEP Module Program.’ Please note that this ‘American Sleep Academy’ program is not an equivalent to the official A-STEP offered by the AASM. Accordingly, sleep disorders facilities that utilize this ‘American Sleep Academy’ program for its technologists will not meet the requirements outlined in the AASM Standards for Accreditation and, therefore, will not be in compliance with the accreditation standards.”
Shortly after the AASM announcement, the ASA issued a “wording correction” to those who received the original e-mail on the 15th. The correction clarified that the ASA ASTEP Module Equivalency Program is not endorsed by the AASM. The wording correction read:
“The American Sleep Academy (ASA) would like to issue a correction for the wording used in its advertisement dated: July 15, 2009. The ASA ASTEP Module Equivalency Program approved through the BRPT only officially fulfills the requirements set by the BRPT for those wishing to sit for their technical boards. The ASA ASTEP Module Equivalency Program has not been reviewed or endorsed in any way by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Inquiries as to how participation in the ASA program could affect AASM Facility Accreditation Status will need to be directed to that organization. We extend our apologies to the AASM and to you for any confusion this may have caused, and assure you it was unintentional.”
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