The investigators propose an integrated, multidisciplinary program at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine (BGSM) to promote the values, attitudes, and clinical behaviors needed for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of sleep disorders. It is expected that this goal will be achieved through the following modifications of the undergraduate and graduate medical curricula: 1) A sleep curriculum (I SNORED) which has been used with preclinical medical students will be refined and extended to medical students throughout the four years of their training. 2) I SNORED will be provided throughout the training of house officers in the internal medicine, family practice, psychiatry, and neurology training programs. 3) This curriculum will be integrated within the physician assistant program at BGSM. 4) I SNORED will be provided to community-based practitioners, facilitated by institutional support of the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). Within all groups, objective evaluation of clinical skills, behaviors, and the impact of curricular interventions will be performed through interactions with standardized, simulated patients. Implementation of the program will be monitored by a multidisciplinary Sleep Education Advisory Committee. Instruction will focus on case-based and small group instruction and will be reinforced by audio, video, and written materials, and computer-assisted instruction. Components of instruction will be critically reappraised and refined, and validated interventions of proven worth will be prepared for widespread dissemination.
| Namen, Andrew M; Dunagan, Donnie P; Fleischer, Alan et al. (2002) Increased physician-reported sleep apnea: the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Chest 121:1741-7 |
| Haponik, E F; Frye, A W; Richards, B et al. (1996) Sleep history is neglected diagnostic information. Challenges for primary care physicians. J Gen Intern Med 11:759-61 |
