Which charts to show the doc?

[Moogy]

I have a visit to my primary care doctor on Friday (Family Practice) to discuss the results of my titration study.

Which MyEncore charts have you found to be the most helpful for your doctors? This doc is a good guy who will listen to me, at least briefly--I have been seeing him for general care for over 20 years now.

I don't have any really critical point to make by showing the charts. I just want to show him some of the charts so he will know that I intend to actively monitor my therapy, and so he will know it is possible (in case none of his other patients have done this).

If possible, I would like for him to help me get access to the clinician's manual, since I can't seem to download it from Respironics. (Maybe he can write me a prescription for the manual?)

I do want to see what his opinion is of the reliability of the monitoring of the machines. I hope he is up-to-date on equipment improvements!

Comments, anyone?

Moogy

[wading thru the muck!]

I have a visit to my primary care doctor on Friday...If possible, I would like for him to help me get access to the clinician's manual, since I can't seem to download it from Respironics. (Maybe he can write me a prescription for the manual?)

Just have him write you a note to give to the folks you got your machine from. "Please give (Moogy) the Clinicians manual that came with her machine" LOL!

You should get a comical reaction when you present the note.

[rested gal]

Just have him write you a note to give to the folks you got your machine from. "Please give (Moogy) the Clinicians manual that came with her machine" LOL!

I love it, Wader!! Yes, get the doctor to write you a note, Moogy. Really. That should work. Should.

And do please tell us what they (DME) say and what they look like when you present the polite order from the doc.

[Ric]

I saw my primary care doc about two weeks ago. I took a copy of all the detailed charts from the EncorePro and MyEncore. In COLOR, of course. Quite a stack of paper. He took one look and said "HEY WOW! YOU CAN DO ALL THAT?" !!!

I should mention that he also uses APAP, and was aware that there was a data card somewhere in there, but had never had it read. Next I find myself offering to read HIS data card and printing up the charts, for which he was grateful. (I should also mention he is NOT the sleep doc, but referred me for the sleep study, and wrote my prescription. I didn't expect him to be completely up on this sort of thing). He is totally supportive of my involvement with monitoring and tracking of my APAP data, and doing the necessary adjustments. In fact I would say he is fascinated by what "patients" are able to do independently, without the traditional apron-strings to the DME.

[NightHawkeye]

Next I find myself offering to read HIS data card and printing up the charts, for which he was grateful.

So . . ., ummh, I'd like to know more, Ric. Did he reciprocate in kind? You know, like the barter system, maybe, where you guys exchanged item a. for item b. In this case the items being:
a. Doc looks at your charts, while you educate him how to interpret the data and what it all means.
b. You print out the doc's own sleep data for him and deliver it back to him.

Just curious, ya know. I'm always looking for ways to extend my medical savings account balance.

Regards,
Bill (subtlety is not my strong suit)

[Ric]

Ric. Did he reciprocate in kind? You know, like the barter system, maybe, where you guys exchanged item a. for item b....

yes. he spots me a few points in racquetball now and then !

[PEELS]

Moogy,

Either bring a copy of all the charts or just bring the charts that seem to make sense and interest you the most. You will be fortunate if your primary care provider will take the time to look at the charts and understand them.

I was fortunate. I took some of the charts from My Encore to my ENT Physician and he was very familiar with the name of the basic software program "Encore Pro" yet he seemed more interested in the fact that I am doing well trying to better understand my apnea problems than with the graphs themselves. He even asked if he has other patients who want to follow their own progress if they can give me a call for assistance on getting set up. Of course I said yes. Needless to say he was impressed and thinks positively of an informed patient.

Let us know what he says.

George

[Moogy]

[quote="rested gal Yes, get the doctor to write you a note, Moogy. Really. That should work. Should. And do please tell us what they (DME) say and what they look like when you present the polite order from the doc. [/quote]

OK, I know you were kidding, but I did it. I talked the doctor into writing me a note on his prescription pad.

First, I told him I would like to know more about how the machine worked (VERY TRUE). He gave me a perfect lead-in by replying, "I don't understand how the automatic units work either." I told him I would like to get the clinician's manual to better understand the unit and I explained that sometimes DMEs think patients can't be trusted not to mess with their own settings, so they don't give them the manual. When he seemed a bit "iffy,"I whipped out a printed copy of the study that RestedGal posted yesterday:
http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/conte ... /167/5/716
Can Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Titrate Their Own Continuous Positive Airway Pressure?
And I said, "Here is a research study that shows patients can be trusted to handle their own titrations."

I also showed him my colorful printouts from MyEncore. He seemed impressed that I would have real data to judge how the unit was responding to my needs. He even took the printouts out in the hall to show to another doctor.

So here is what he wrote on the prescription pad:
"Patient may titrate and adjust her own home BIPAP unit & be allowed to have information-brochure to do so."
So I emailed my DME to ask if I can have it! Let's see if this works!

Do you think the DME will write back to me? This local DME was not horrible like some of the stories I read, but it is certainly possible that they hae a policy on this issue. Time will tell....

Moogy

[rested gal]

OK, I know you were kidding, but I did it. I talked the doctor into writing me a note on his prescription pad.

...

So here is what he wrote on the prescription pad:
"Patient may titrate and adjust her own home BIPAP unit & be allowed to have information-brochure to do so."
So I emailed my DME to ask if I can have it! Let's see if this works!

Do you think the DME will write back to me? This local DME was not horrible like some of the stories I read, but it is certainly possible that they hae a policy on this issue. Time will tell....

Moogy

Good for you, Moogy! No, I wasn't kidding at all. I was just still laughing at the thought of a DME having to swallow hard, smile, and do what the doctor says -- "Give Moogy the keys, please."

[Snoozie]

I love it!

I would love to see the expression on his face! Acutally, I can't wait to see the expression on mine since I adjusted my own settings on my CPap. I have the documentation to prove that my settings are working better than what I was titrated at. I have a good doc. I just need to get to him before the DME asks for my card back.

[Darth Vader Look]

Man, to be a fly on that DME's wall when they get your email. .

[Moogy]

A couple of weeks ago, my family practice doctor wrote me a prescription that allows me to get the provider/clinician's manual for my Auto Bipap. I emailed my DME. The respiratory therapist replied, sure, just bring the prescription for their records. Yesterday my husband was in the area, so he stopped by and picked it up for me.

ZERO problems getting this!

It already answered some of my questions about how the unit detects an apnea. And it had not realized that the snore-detection does not function at higher pressures. (It doesn't say why, but my guess is the high pressures would make the detection unreliable.)

I am lucky to have a DME that is helpful, well-stocked, not rushed, and friendly. I wish you all had such local help. If anyone else is in Austin, message me and I will give you the name of the DME so you can try them, also.

Moogy