What do you do with that plastic card? Newbie question

Hi again,
It seems I'm always asking the weirdest questions. I have the Respironics BiPAP autoSV and it has one of the plastic cards in the side of it. What am I supposed to do with this card? I can't afford to buy anything else and I have a MAC computer which probably isn't compatible with any kind of software. The DME mentioned that I could bring the card in and have them read it, but then I won't have a card anymore, so what does that do? Can the machines work without a card in the side? I sound so stupid here, I know. But I'm curious about this card deal. Where do I get a new one? I see everyone here has some sort of reader listed and software, I assume that is to read that card. Do you have to buy a new card every time you read it or is it reusable? The user manual says it's an Encore smart card, so I must be the dumb one here. I can't find anywhere in the user manual anything about what this card does or how to get to read it or anything. It just says what it is and that's it. Is there anything non-technical that you can tell me about this card.

The sleep clinic I went to doesn't have any follow up care (for me, anyway.) They just gave me a prescription and sent me on my way to find a machine. I believe their lack of caring is because I have Alabama Medicaid and that only pays for the tests and no machine or mask. And they have already told me that they wouldn't give me any medication for my idiopathic hypersomnia even though they did in 2003. So it was like they said not to come back and don't bother us with your problems at the end of my sleep study night. Shouldn't there be some sort of follow up to make sure I'm doing this right and the machine is working for me? Or do you think they were just assuming that I'd never get a machine because I'm on Alabama Medicaid and they don't pay for anything unless you are under 21. I'm at a weird place and I don't know what to do next. Or do I just keep using it and maybe some day I won't sleep all day. I don't know. Is therapy that imprecise (I don't know if that is even the word I'm looking for here.) Anyone else have idiopathic hypersomnia along with their sleep apnea? I'm wondering since I have help to breathe now, shouldn't I be able to do the Xyrem treatment for hypersomnia? (I think that is the name of it-it knocks you out so you sleep a deep sleep.) I'm confused on what steps to take next. Any ideas, suggestions, comments... please.

Karla

Hi Karla,

I do not have a Respironics BiPAP autoSV so I am not certain I can correctly answer your question. My best guess is that the card records data (ask your DME provider to tell you how it captures the data). Assuming it automatically captures the data and stores it or if you have to select a menu function to download the data to the card, when you send it or take it to your DME to read, ask them for a copy of the report generated and ask them to return the card for future readings and reports.

I know my DME will not give me a copy of the report (why, I do not know since it is my information) and that is why I have my own card reader and software. My DME does return the card to me because I ask for it to be returned.

um...you take it in to the DME and they will read the card, print out a snazzy report, and return the card to you so you can put it back in the machine and start the cycle over.

Be advised, the card IS reusable, but holds only a week's worth of data. You don't HAVE to get a report every week, but if you go in a month later expecting to get a report covering a whole month, you won't. However, a weekly report every month or so is better than nothing.

I don't think Encore comes in a Mac "flavor", but I'm no expert on Encore or Macs.

I think you can probably set your machine to show you the numbers each morning on the LCD readout. I know my M-series APAP will. You'll get the same data the card collects, but no fancy graphs or printed reports.

KengEsq wrote:Hi Karla,

I do not have a Respironics BiPAP autoSV so I am not certain I can correctly answer your question. My best guess is that the card records data (ask your DME provider to tell you how it captures the data). Assuming it automatically captures the data and stores it or if you have to select a menu function to download the data to the card, when you send it or take it to your DME to read, ask them for a copy of the report generated and ask them to return the card for future readings and reports.

I know my DME will not give me a copy of the report (why, I do not know since it is my information) and that is why I have my own card reader and software. My DME does return the card to me because I ask for it to be returned.

I called the sleep lab and told them that my DME refused to give me a copy of the results from the "little plastic card"-I had it in 3 days. I couldn't understand it anyway, so don't know why I wanted it. They had given me a new card, and since then I've found out how to check my #'s on my machine, so it's another thing the DME doesn't have to be botherd with..

Sleepy Boy wrote:

KengEsq wrote:Hi Karla,

I do not have a Respironics BiPAP autoSV so I am not certain I can correctly answer your question. My best guess is that the card records data (ask your DME provider to tell you how it captures the data). Assuming it automatically captures the data and stores it or if you have to select a menu function to download the data to the card, when you send it or take it to your DME to read, ask them for a copy of the report generated and ask them to return the card for future readings and reports.

I know my DME will not give me a copy of the report (why, I do not know since it is my information) and that is why I have my own card reader and software. My DME does return the card to me because I ask for it to be returned.

I called the sleep lab and told them that my DME refused to give me a copy of the results from the "little plastic card"-I had it in 3 days. I couldn't understand it anyway, so don't know why I wanted it. They had given me a new card, and since then I've found out how to check my #'s on my machine, so it's another thing the DME doesn't have to be botherd with..

I'm guessing that my DME will not give me my report (I really don't need it because I can do my own) because they don't keep a copy but simply eventually send the only copy they have to my sleep doctor. When I last saw my sleep doctor a week or so ago, I brought him my own report and it was a good thing because he told me he had never received any reports from my DME.

Both my Sleep Doc and my DME have the means and have offered to print reports for me. But it's easier to do them myself (I seldom actually print them, just view on-screen).

I can't believe a DME would refuse to give you a copy...considering the $$ they are making off of you. And especially if they aren't sending it to the Doc! Maybe you should remind them who the customer is!

I wish there was a way to transfer the data via 'net. *I'd* do the reports myself and email them to you!

LinkC wrote:Both my Sleep Doc and my DME have the means and have offered to print reports for me. But it's easier to do them myself (I seldom actually print them, just view on-screen).
I can't believe a DME would refuse to give you a copy...considering the $$ they are making off of you. And especially if they aren't sending it to the Doc! Maybe you should remind them who the customer is!
I wish there was a way to transfer the data via 'net. *I'd* do the reports myself and email them to you!

My DME says only my sleep doctor can scan/read my card and give me info and I have to have a doctor's appt every time I want to do that. So I'm going to get the software and reader so I can do it myself. It would be neat if we could transfer info over the net to those who have the software and card reader.
mar

Karla1958 wrote:Can the machines work without a card in the side?

Yes, your machine will work as usual even without a card stuck in it.

Karla1958 wrote: Do you have to buy a new card every time you read it or is it reusable?

It's reusable.

Karla1958 wrote:I can't find anywhere in the user manual anything about what this card does or how to get to read it or anything. It just says what it is and that's it.

There's nothing in the user manual about how to read the card because they don't expect the user to even want to do that. The card is for the DME's use. Of course, many of us here do decide to buy the software and card reader in order to download the card ourselves -- and not be at the mercy of the DME or doctor to let us know what it shows.

Your card will run fine without the card but it won't gather any data if it's not in the machine. That card will work for years and years and your dealer will most likely hand it right back to you after they download the data from it.

You might want to click on "our wisdom" and on your machines link and read up on this stuff. You certainly aren't dumb and of course your questions aren't, but there is certainly a lot to learn about your therapy.

What kind of a Mac do you have? I have an iMac with Intel, and installed Win. XP (Not Vista!) after using Bootcamp to program the Win. 'side' of things (BC is much better than Parallels for that job) and use my Encore programs all the time.

Karla,

Keep the card in the machine. If your insurance company is like mine, in about a month, they will ask the DME for a compliance report - it's basically page 1 of the detailed report and shows how long and on what day you used your machine. The DME will send you a new card and ask you to trade it with the one in the machine. Never let the DME have your card - unless your walking it in and getting it right back - without the replacement card. Yes the machine will function without the card, but if you need to show compliance, you need a card in the machine to record data.

If down the road you have problems, you or your doctor can ask the DME to run you a detailed report that will give you information on "how you did" durning the night.

Why don't you register, fill in your profile and repost your question on hypersomnia to a more descriptive thread. I think people who might have an answer for you might miss it here because of the title of this thread.

Be advised, the card IS reusable, but holds only a week's worth of data. You don't HAVE to get a report every week, but if you go in a month later expecting to get a report covering a whole month, you won't. However, a weekly report every month or so is better than nothing.

WHAT!!! Are you telling me that the Smart Card doesn't have my information from the beginning of use? I've never had it printed before and have put off buying the reader and software ($$$), but I thought everything would be on there forever. I have never read that on this board anywhere before. And I was upset because the DME lost my first Smart Card (a years worth), and they never explained to me that it didn't have anything but the last week on it anyway. This is freaking me out.

The card holds "compliance" data (hours of use) for a long, long time. A year or more, perhaps. Can't remember exactly how long, but Den (Wulfman) could tell you. However the juicy detailed data...the "Daily Details" graphs... cover approximately a week's worth of sessions...the most recent sessions. After a certain number of sessions (usually the most recent 5 - 7 nights) older "Daily Details" get overwritten by new ones.