۱- Membership:
The Iranian Sleep Society has approximately 90 members. Most of them have received training in the field of sleep medicine in Iran. Few have received training from other educational systems.
۲- Establishment:
The Iranian Sleep Medicine (ISM) Society was founded in 2005. (1)
۳٫ Mission:
The mission of the Iranian Sleep Society is to advance the understanding and treatment of sleep disorders through education, research, and advocacy. The aim of establishing this society includes training sleep medicine specialists through a collaborative approach, fostering sleep and circadian medicine research, and promoting community awareness about sleep and circadian health. (1)
۴٫ Importance of Fellowship Training:
• The fellowship training programs in Iran were crucial for the growth of sleep medicine in Iran as they ensure that healthcare professionals are well-trained in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. This has led to improved patient outcomes and increased awareness of sleep health.
۵٫ Structure of Fellowship Programs:
• The fellowship programs typically include a combination of clinical training, research opportunities, and educational workshops. They focus on various aspects of sleep medicine, including Polysomnography, Titration and Split night study, MSLT, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and management of sleep disorders.
• Sleep medicine fellowship program in Iran includes a 12-15 months course and needs passing an entrance exam for national board certified physicians from neurology, psychiatry, internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care, otolaryngology, anesthesiology , pediatrics and occupational medicine background.
۶٫ Establishing Effective Training Programs:
To establish effective training programs, the society focused on:
• Collaborating with international sleep organizations.
• Developing standardized curricula.
• Providing mentorship opportunities with experienced professionals.
۷٫ Outcomes:
• The society has seen significant improvements in the quality of sleep medicine practice in Iran, increased research output, and greater public awareness of sleep disorders. Patients residing in various cities, Ahvaz, Arak, Ardabil, Isfahan, Karaj, Kerman, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Oromia, Qazvin, Sari, Tabriz, Tehran, and Yazd, have convenient access to ISM certified sleep clinics. (2)
• Many fellows have gone on to become leaders in the field. We have collaborations with international sleep organizations such as World Sleep academy, in which 2 faculty are from Iran, also 2 mentees joined WSA courses. Currently we have 3 sleep specialists certified as international sleep specialist and passes World Sleep Society exam. Also at least 4 sleep specialists in Iran are certified by European Sleep Research Society. We have also 3 specialists contributed in Asian Sleep Fellowship Curriculum.
۸٫ Primary Goals for Fellowship Training:
• The primary goals include enhancing the quality of sleep medicine education, increasing the number of trained specialists, and fostering research initiatives in sleep health.
۹٫ Additional Insights:
• The Iranian Sleep Society encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing with other sleep societies globally. We believe that sharing best practices can enhance the overall quality of sleep medicine worldwide.
References:
1- Current challenges and opportunities in global sleep medicine, Editor(s): Clete A. Kushida, Encyclopedia of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2023, Pages 643-681, ISBN 9780323910941, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822963-7.00323-6,
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128229637003236)
2- Behkar A, Amirifard H, Samadi S, et al. Global practice of sleep medicine: Iran. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(6):1009–۱۰۱۵٫٫