SLEEP

 수면다원검사는, 8시간 기준으로 잠이 인생의 1/3이나 차지하고 있지만, 인류는 수면에 관심을 가지 것은 아주 최근 일이다. 과학적이고 개관적인 수면을 그림화 시키고 수치화 시키는 즉 기록하는 것이 수면다원검사다. 인간의 수면기록 시작은 50-60년 정도의 짧은 역사다. 아직까지 완전히 수수께기가 다 풀린 것도 아니다. 수면장애 관련 된 질환 100여 종류를 찾아 내고 치료하는 가장 근본적인 방법으로, 인간의 삶이 더 행복하고 건강하기 위한 의료 핵심기술이다

Current Status of Sleep Technicians and Polysomnography In Korea

 

  Kwang-Jin Kim, RPSGT

  Center for Sleep and Chronobiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea

 

 Polysomnography (PSG) was introduced to Korea around the year 1989. Seoul National University Hospital built one-bed facility for PSG but only 19 patients were tested in the first year. Neither the medical doctor in charge nor the assigned technician was trained in sleep disorders medicine or PSG. The facility and equipment did not meet with international standard. Technicians trained in clinical pathology at that time did not actually obtain appropriate education and training related to PSG at all.

The year 1990 marks the historical beginning of systematic education and training of PSG and its clinical application. Prof. Do-Un Jeong came back from his fellowship training in sleep disorders medicine and researches on sleep physiology in the U.S. He in 1991 became the first Korean physician certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. In 1995, he launched the first fellowship program in sleep medicine at the Seoul National University Hospital and since then, the program has produced sleep medicine experts every year. Development of sleep medicine on the physician side also has facilitated the education and training of PSG technicians.

With more physicians trained in sleep medicine within and outside Korea, we now have about 60~70 PSG facilities, out of which about 40 are university-hospital based. Sleep medicine-related industry, particularly nasal CPAP-related one, is also being expanded. Prescription of nasal CPAP rose in number from 5 cases in 1992 to about 1,000 cases per year in recent years.   

The number of PSG technicians are increasing rapidly, with better training obtained. Korea now has 70 PSG technicians working and out of them, about 30 are RPSGTs (U.S.A.) (the first one certified in 2005). In 2008, Korean Academy of Sleep Medicine (KASMED), the only official organization representing sleep medicine and researches in Korea under the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences, introduced the Korean version of RPSGT and certified 31 technicians.

KASMED also introduced program for PSG technicians for continuing education.

In Korea, continuing education is crucial for PSG technicians, since the majority of them are graduates of colleges (18 in number) or junior colleges (21), where curriculum does not have a separate course of sufficient hours spent on sleep, sleep disorders, and PSG. In addition to national efforts, in terms of developing curriculum and introducing it, systematic communication and collaboration among Asian countries should be encouraged