It's useless, isn't it? :(

Bumping this thread up in response to another current thread.

The DME that didn't know what a "fully data capable machine" was and that wouldn't come out to my home to set up the equipment was Apria. Since we have a representative here who wanted to know about our experiences with the company, I thought this thread might be helpful in seeing my progress with the experience last week.

Apria might be a wonderful company. It could be that I've just had a unique, unusual experience. I don't know.

From everything I've read on here for years, Apria is one of the worst companies to deal with. A very few people have gotten lucky with individuals at their local place, but the company is known to be awful to have to work with.

Dotty,

Are you in the DFW area?

Dear Dotty,
I am with you on the total lack of coordination with us patients on the medical establishments part. As a new cpap-er and a nurse I must say that we were not taught anything about sleep apnea in school. There are just too many things to learn!

But the PCP and the sleep study DOCS should be able to get together and at the least touch bases with each other. As a wound care nurse all I do (I really do other things too!) is TEACH my patients on how to care for and to know what the changes in a wound should or should not be. I am totaly dumbfounded by the inability of the DME's to provide accurate and consistent information. It is their job to know how to teach their clients ins and outs of treatment. Humm.. I wonder how long I would keep my license if I did not know what I was doing?

How to change this on a national level? More board regulations - by state to state. I hate to see this come about as then we CPAP-ers would not be able (by Law) to change pressures, and monitor other areas of treatment. But I really do feel the the cracks we are falling through are too wide.

My main thought is to educate anyone who may be thinking of having a sleep study done to come to this site and read! Also educate your MD. To do this you must go around to the "back door". That is make the MD think it is their idea. "What do you suggest about the cpap type of machined? A friend told me about this .... Do YOU think that would be OK? I am all of the time teaching things the MD and RN that do not know anything about wounds, so why would this be any different? You can catch more flies with honey... Just be sure that you do not know more than they do or you will not get anywhere! Of course you do know more than they do on this particular subject. I have learned so much about this CPAP issue on this forum that it isn't funny.

If there is anything that anybody can think of to better inform professionals about this issue get in touch with me maybe we can barnstorm>

Thanks for letting me vent!
Ricky

I just called the DME that I'm thinking about going with (NOT Apria! ).

The lady I spoke to was so nice. She knew what I meant by a "fully data capable machine." She said that the doctor would be able to get that info and keep track of how I'm doing.

I said, "Actually, I'M wanting to know the data on how I'm doing." She seemed pleased by that and told me that I'd be able to keep up with it as well.

She's not the person who would be bringing the machine, so she's left a message for him to call me (he was on the other line at the time and will call as soon as he's off the phone). So, I'm getting closer!

"Bedside manner" is just as vital in something like that as any other area. Perhaps other DMEs should take note of this fact. It's all about making the patient feel like you care about them and want them to get better.

RN Ricky wrote: As a wound care nurse all I do (I really do other things too!) is TEACH my patients on how to care for and to know what the changes in a wound should or should not be. I am totaly dumbfounded by the inability of the DAM(E) (oops I spelled that wrong!!! ) to provide accurate and consistent information. It is their job to know how to teach their clients ins and outs of treatment. Humm.. I wonder how long I would keep my license if I did not know what I was doing?

I don't want to hijack this thread, but there are a few issues here that really need to be commented on. So, I will make my point only once.

Some years back, I sustained a couple of deep puncture wounds to my leg. I used relatively simple dressings to protect them, and they did an adequate job. Nevertheless, the wounds got infected on a holiday weekend, necessitating an unwanted visit to the hospital emergency center. After the necessary treatments were administered, I was asked if a team of students (nurses, I presume) could try dressing this injury. I told them they could. They proceeded to apply an incredibly elaborate dressing to these wounds, and the result was kind of a plastic band around my leg. I left the hospital to go home. Before I had made it to the car, the dressing had fallen off and was instead around my knee. It seemed to me that this dressing was elaborate and expensive, and did not work nearly as well as gauze and tape. It did not leave me with a particularly good impression of what medical students learn.

RN Ricky wrote:How to change this on a national level? More board regulations - by state to state. I hate to see this come about as then we CPAP-ers would not be able (by Law) to change pressures, and monitor other areas of treatment. But I really do feel the the cracks we are falling through are too wide.

This is exactly what we DO NOT need: more regulation. This is like saying qualified (but not professional) people should not be allowed to own lions because a few unqualified people owned lions and messed up. This restricts personal freedom, and simply magnifies the DME-type problems we are having. I have been using xPAP for a few days short of six months now. If I had to go through the health care system every time I needed to make a change, I would be at a point about 45 days into the start of my therapy.

People need to be responsible for their own actions. Because people are unwilling to be responsible for their own actions, we have many of the problems we have today. People here are different. They want to be responsible, so they are learning!

RN Ricky wrote:My main thought is to educate anyone who may be thinking of having a sleep study done to come to this site and read! Also educate your MD. To do this you must go around to the "back door". That is make the MD think it is their idea. "What do you suggest about the cpap type of machined? A friend told me about this .... Do YOU think that would be OK? I am all of the time teaching things the MD and RN that do not know anything about wounds, so why would this be any different? You can catch more flies with honey... Just be sure that you do not know more than they do or you will not get anywhere! Of course you do know more than they do on this particular subject. I have learned so much about this CPAP issue on this forum that it isn't funny.

There you go. This is more on the right track. Education. Solves so doggone many problems! Wish I could have given those wound care students a few very basic pointers!

Thanks for letting me vent, too!