Episode 31 of Airway Answers: “The 5 Finger Approach to Empower Your Sleep Patients with Dr. David McCarty, MD, FAASM"

Welcome to the "Airway Answers with Nicole Goldfarb: Expanding your Breath of Knowledge". In this episode, Nicole Goldfarb, M.A. CCC, SLP- COM® interviews Dr. David McCarty, MD, FAASM.  Dr. McCarty urges to help 🙌 Empower Your Sleep Apnea Journey! 🙌

Dr. McCarty is a sleep medicine specialist and author, and he shares a revolutionary approach to treating sleep apnea in this captivating interview which covers the following topics 🤯:

✅ Dr. McCarty candidly describes his own frustration with traditional sleep apnea treatment, feeling like patients were often left confused and overwhelmed. 😠
✅ His innovative "Empowered Sleep Apnea Project" arose from a desire to create a more patient-centered and collaborative model of care. 🤝
✅ Discover the "Five Finger Approach" - a brilliant framework for assessing sleep issues and uncovering the root cause of problems, rather than simply slapping a CPAP machine on every patient! 🖐️
✅ Learn the "Five Reasons to Treat" sleep apnea, going beyond just AHI scores to consider individual patient needs and motivations. 💯

This approach ensures patients are fully invested in their treatment plan!
💯 Dr. McCarty's Powerful Message:

✅ Sleep apnea treatment should NOT be a one-size-fits-all approach! 🙅‍♀️
✅ Empower patients with knowledge! 🧠 Understanding the nuances of sleep apnea allows for informed decision-making and better treatment adherence.
✅ Complexity is NOT the enemy! Embrace the multifaceted nature of sleep apnea and address the WHOLE patient, not just the symptoms.
✅ Collaboration is essential! Medical professionals, dentists, and therapists must work together to create comprehensive treatment plans. 🤝

🎙️ Listen to this interview and learn how to become an empowered sleep apnea patient or practitioner! 🦸‍♀️🦸 It's time to ditch the fear and embrace a holistic approach to better sleep and overall health!
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ABOUT THE GUEST:
Dr. Dave McCarty is a board-certified specialist in Sleep Medicine, an award-winning educator, and a pioneer in the practice of patient-centered care for those who suffer from sleep disorders. He is a graduate of Duke Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital residency in Internal Medicine. He was the second Program Director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at LSU. In 2015, Dr. McCarty left academics to join the newly founded Colorado Sleep Institute. At CSI, he served as medical director, while also maintaining a full-time patient-centered clinic. In 2021, Dr. McCarty left clinical practice to begin a new journey of public education. In September 2022, the Empowered Sleep Apnea project was launched, an innovative cross-platform educational project combining storytelling, cartooning, scientific rigor, and quite a bit of fun, all in the name of helping individuals (and their providers) navigate the fascinating but complex disorder known as “Sleep Apnea.” A foundational goal of the project is to empower individuals with knowledge that restores confidence and personal agency within the journey of “Sleep Apnea”, helping each patient-provider team navigate the landscape of sleep-related disease and wellness, within an increasingly fragmented healthcare system.  In 2024, the project comprises a website,  a book (Empowered Sleep Apnea: A Handbook for Patients and the People Who Care About Them, (co-authored with Ellen Stothard, PhD), a blog (Dave’s Notes) and a podcast (Empowered Sleep Apnea: THE PODCAST).
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ABOUT THE HOST:
Nicole Goldfarb, M.A. CCC, SLP- COM® is the owner of San Diego Center For Speech Therapy & Myofunctional Therapy. She currently serves as a mentor and consultant to patients, professionals, and colleagues nationally and internationally in the field of OMT.