Uable to Read Sleep Studies - Software Needed?

[FoggyFroggy]

Good morning!

Things are going well with my therapy. I guess I'm one of the lucky few that just took to PAP easily. Had a problem getting the Dreamwear headgear to stop slipping but after two horrible nights with the Wisp, I was elated to go back and the Dreamwear is definitely a keeper.

I received my sleep study results (both diagnostic and titration) on DVDs but it appears that there is no software included on the DVDs that would enable me to open and view the studies. I was given the DVDs after battling with the sleep lab for more information than the 3 page interpretation summary. I specifically asked for graphs, charts, etc. I feel like giving me raw data that I have no way of viewing was the lab's passive aggressive response to my request as they were NOT happy about me requesting details of the studies. Is there a software program I can download somewhere that will let me view the studies?

Any advice/guidance you can give would be greatly appreciated!

[Wulfman...]

Good morning!

Things are going well with my therapy. I guess I'm one of the lucky few that just took to PAP easily. Had a problem getting the Dreamwear headgear to stop slipping but after two horrible nights with the Wisp, I was elated to go back and the Dreamwear is definitely a keeper.

I received my sleep study results (both diagnostic and titration) on DVDs but it appears that there is no software included on the DVDs that would enable me to open and view the studies. I was given the DVDs after battling with the sleep lab for more information than the 3 page interpretation summary. I specifically asked for graphs, charts, etc. I feel like giving me raw data that I have no way of viewing was the lab's passive aggressive response to my request as they were NOT happy about me requesting details of the studies. Is there a software program I can download somewhere that will let me view the studies?

Any advice/guidance you can give would be greatly appreciated!

How come they gave you the raw data on DVDs? (Did you piss them off?) Yes, unless the person DOES have the expensive software to interpret/convert it, it's basically useless and other than those who are trained in reading it wouldn't understand it anyway. They should have given you something like a 5 - 15 page summary of the report (which usually includes the attendant's notes).
I've seen this happen to others who, for some reason, requested all the details to their studies and then didn't know what to do with it.

By the way, my 15 page report has all the graphs, pie and bar charts, etc.


Den

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[FoggyFroggy]

How come they gave you the raw data on DVDs? (Did you piss them off?) I've seen this happen to others who, for some reason, requested all the details to their studies and then didn't know what to do with it.

By the way, my 15 page report has all the graphs, pie and bar charts, etc.

Den,

Yes. Unfortunately, the lab was extremely agitated that I wanted more detail in my report that included some graphs, charts, etc. (NOT raw data, necessarily.) They do sloppy work -- It was obvious to me that they copy/pasted from another report as my study was done on November 20th and the date on the report was an August date. That was just the first clue that my results had someone else's information interspersed throughout. Some of the information in one section completely contradicted information in another. At this point, I'm not at all sure what my actual diagnostic study showed. It took 6 weeks to get that first study summary and another 8 weeks to get an email from my doctor telling me my settings were APAP 8-10. I didn't even get a summary report for that study! At this point, I have no faith in my diagnosis or this lab. Don't get me wrong. I know I have apnea but I have no idea what the true diagnosis is. Everyone here stresses how important it is to have my study results in hand so I pushed for them. I'm really pissed off that the medical community can treat a patient this way and get away with it.

Thank goodness for this forum - and JediMark's (sp?) work with Sleepyhead. Without it, I would be in real trouble. It's now been another two weeks (almost 4 months since that first study) and I haven't heard a peep out of anyone since I filled out a prescription form (downloaded online) and forced my doctor to sign it. No one from the lab, no insurance representative, no DME. I've gone rogue and purchased an APAP and have been able to adjust my script appropriately, thanks to y'all!!! I LOVE my machine and feel so much better after 2 weeks on therapy. I did submit my invoice and am hoping my insurance company will at least give me out-of-network credit against my high deductible for the purchase. If they don't, I don't really care at this point. I'm just delighted that I am going to have the mental clarity/acuity to begin to piece back together the wreck of a life sleep apnea created!

[Wulfman...]

In my own situation, it was somewhere around a year and a half till I finally got curious about what my sleep study actually said and requested it. I don't know if I actually learned all that much from it, but at least I have it to refer to if need be (I scanned the pages into my computer). I had my own therapy very well dialed in not long after I started and that's all that mattered to me.
But, since I had been prescribed a much higher pressure than I actually needed, that part was the only thing that was of interest to me. The gal that did my sleep study was great but my sleep doctor was an egotistical jerk. Oh, well.......


Den

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