At Sleep Solutions, all of our technicians are Registered Polysomnographic Technologists, but what does that mean?
The Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) is an internationally recognized credential representing the highest certification in the field for the health care professionals who clinically assess patients with sleep disorders.
What Credentials are Required to Become a Sleep Technologist?
The field of sleep medicine is expanding rapidly due to new treatments, advanced technology, and increased public awareness about how sleep disorders affect people.
What is a Sleep Technologist?
Sleep technologists are trained in sleep medicine and assist in patient care evaluation and follow-up of sleep disorders recognized in the present International Classification of Sleep Disorders. This profession is considered distinct and separate from other health professions. Sleep technologists work in laboratories for sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep centers, industry and academic research settings, Durable Medical Equipment (DME) settings, non-facility-based settings, and home environments under a sleep specialist's direction.
Sleep technologists are credentialed by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) or the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) and assist sleep specialists in physiological testing and monitoring, clinical assessment, diagnosis, prevention and management of sleep-related disorders. They use various therapeutic and diagnostic tools to provide patients of all ages with proper care and education.
Almost all sleep technologists agree that working with patients directly is the most rewarding part of their career. Being able to help a patient with OSA, for example, and provide them with relief from their symptoms so they can get a full night's sleep finally after years of suffering gives sleep technologists much satisfaction.
Additionally, sleep medicine is among the few careers where the patients show immense improvement in such a short period.
Common tools sleep technologists use include:
Positive airway pressure devices and accessory equipment
Polysomnographs
Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) devices
Capnographs
Oximeters
Screening devices
Actigraphs
Questionnaires
These are only some of the common tools used by a sleep technologist. There is an array of useful tools used to aid them in their jobs.
RST vs RPSGT? (i.e. Registered Sleep Technologist vs. Registered Polysomnographic Technologist)
A registered sleep technologist (RST) and registered polysomnographic technologist perform the same job but have different sleep credentials and distinct requirements to qualify for the credentialing exam. Here is an overview of each.
Overview of RST
There are a number of pathways to become certified as a registered sleep technologist. Each state and provider will differ in their requirements for education and certification.
You need to understand the regulations outlined by state governing boards, practice/licensure acts, and local insurance and Medicare providers. This information is critical for those entering the field in states with licensure for sleep technologists. Make sure the credential you are seeking meets the requirements for practice in your state.
The American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) oversees the RST credentialing exam, which assesses the day-to-day professional responsibilities and relevant practice of sleep technology in a sleep center setting. The Registered Sleep Technologist (RST) is an education-based credential that gauges learning achieved through the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) education programs.
Overview of RPSGT
The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) provides the RPSGT credential and the Certified Polysomnographic Technician (CPSGT) credential, which gauges the competence of the practitioner performing polysomnography, associated therapeutic interventions, and primary education and treatment compliance.