June 06, 2010

The Sleep Apnea and trucking conference - a last word

The dust is beginning to settle on the conference the ASAA hosted on sleep apnea and trucking almost a month ago. And before it moves totally into memory I want to offer some comments.

There is a great deal of interest on the question of sleep apnea and the commercial vehicle operator. The basis for some of that interest is concern for the livelihood of those affected - the commercial drivers.

The objective we set out for ourselves in organizing the conference was to bring together representatives of the various stakeholders and provide a common basis of understanding on this thorny topic - sleep apnea specifically and not fatigue or hours of service. Beyond the understanding we had a goal of presenting information on alternatives.

I believe we were successful in providing stakeholders a platform to present information to the more than 400 people in attendance either though the formal presentations, the exhibitors and/or the conversations among attendees.

Our goal was not to resolve the question of who to screen and when, or when to have someone undergo a sleep study and what type. Our goal was to provide a forum and there we succeeded.

Planning for a future conference is underway. Stay tuned here or to be a part of it contact me directly.