still tired

[njy]

Ok, I now have a THIRD machine. Obviously getting 2 minutes of compliance EVERY day the first one was broken. Second one made wierd noises and took regular breathes. This one seems to be ok. When I took in the noisy machine, they were able to read the card from it. I am using the machine "uninterrupted" 6-9 hours a night. They said that there were no waking times recorded... hello--- I was awake multiple times the night before. I have had a hectic couple of weeks with classes starting and getting courses ready, so I have not ordered the card reader. The therapist said all she had records of was compliance hours. I know that something else is going on. If I order the card reader and get the software will I be able to see more then how many hours I am sleeping? Don't really need a machine to tell me that, especially one that is not saying I am awake.

Just what type of data will I be able to record with my machine... pictured below. Thanks
NJY

[Wulfman]

If I order the card reader and get the software will I be able to see more then how many hours I am sleeping?

You bet!


The new REMstar Pro 2 is a powerful tool for promoting compliance with OSA therapy. It provides the comfort of C-Flex technology and also captures enhanced compliance data (AHI, leak, and snoring) with the Encore Pro SmartCard and Data Management Software.

Taken from:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/1620


Your therapist apparently isn't knowledgeable about the software or how to get more than the compliance info.

As long as you don't shut it off or take the mask off while it's running and you're still breathing, there's really no way to tell if you're awake or asleep.

Glad to year you may have finally gotten a decent machine.....hopefully that'll record ALL of your sleep time.

Best wishes,

Den

[HP]

NJY, I suspect you have the same problem as I do with my Sleep doc.

I have a Remstar Auto-PAP w/cflex & humidifier. On my second visit to my Sleep doc, I brought the smart card along and the staff proceeded to download the info and (I found out later) erased the card. At that time I did not have my card reader. The Sleep doc showed me the printout which was simply the compliance info. I told him I was expecting my card reader shortly and that I expected to view lots more data to help me set the pressure more accurately and monitor the mechanics as well as how I feel along the way. He was startled to hear this and asked me to bring in copies of the printouts on my next visit. That visit is still a few weeks off.

This convinced me that a number of Sleep docs have "old" software and don't know how to turn off the auto-erase feature on the card reader function. Next time I'm in there I will not be so eager to lend staff my card, unless they can convince me that they will not erase it.

On the brighter side, this Sleep doc is not at all unhappy that I have reset my APAP pressure boundaries. I explained my rationale and he agreed with me. He said he does not have any other patients that take this much interest in their therapy, and is happy to see my progress. He even wrote me a second script for an APAP machine in case my insurance company balks at the first one that specifies CPAP. He is not aware of the record capabilities of some of the Remstar machines, and appears to want to learn more. He also had no problem with my bypassing the DME's. He handed me my original script as well as a few others.

So, NJY, it appears that new product info is very slow to make it out to the Sleep docs!

HP

[HP]

Your machine should be putting all of the CPAP-applicable info on your smart card that Remstar software reads, and you should also be able to get all the CPAP-applicable reports that "My-Encore" handles, if you also download and use that as well.

HP

[njy]

Thanks Den and HP.
It is just so frustrating. I have been attempting to use the machine since the end of september, and still have "heavy eyes" most of the day. While I don't go to sleep "accidentally" I do come home and take a nap. I have been being diligent in using the cpap and feel like it is time to see some improvement.

HP, I was at the DME, not the Dr. I have worked with two different therapists, but don't seem to have my "own" assigned to me. So I catch who ever is in at the time. I knew that there is more information that they can see, I saw it with the other therapist. I now know that I need to figure out when he is in or how to catch him specifically -- finished with the one from this last experience.

So now the wait is on, I just finished my order with 2factors. When the reader is here, I will be asking questions on the board if I have trouble. I do have the list of previous posts and help pages, so I dont' anticipate problems with using the technology. BUt I will need assistance in understanding what I am reading when I see the data.

NJY

[rested gal]

On my second visit to my Sleep doc, I brought the smart card along and the staff proceeded to download the info and (I found out later) erased the card. At that time I did not have my card reader. The Sleep doc showed me the printout which was simply the compliance info.

HP, it doesn't matter that your card was erased after the download. The download done at the sleep Doc's office did put the full detailed data from the Smart Card into their computer. Unless they deleted your patient file from the Encore Pro directory in their computer, the detailed data is still in there. It's unlikely they took "you" out since you're still a patient of theirs.

If you want to see the detailed data from that old download, just go back to them (you don't need to take the Smart Card along unless you want to) ask them to fire up Encore Pro and double click your name in the "Patient List." Then, in the "Interaction List", doubleclick the "Sleep Therapy Compliance Download." Since they've done only one download for you, there will only be one date in that "Interaction List". A window will pop up where they have a choice of "Summary" of "Full Details". They should click Full Details. They don't need to change anything in the "date range."

The first page that comes up in the Viewer will be an uninteresting page.

The scroll bar on the righthand side of the first page in a "Full Details" view of Encore Pro data just scrolls to the bottom of Page 1. It fooled me the first time I used Encore Pro. I thought, gee, is this all there is? I knew I had clicked "full details". I thought that sliding the scrollbar down would go through all the pages of the report, but it doesn't. You have to use either the PageDown key or click the little green down-arrow at the top to move through the report pages.

The juicy stuff (charts/graphs) begins on page 4 of Encore Pro reports. Approximately 5 days of detailed data are all that are stored on the Smart Card at a time before newer data is recorded over the old, on the Smart Card.