aargh ! they gave my friend a REMstar plus

[brucelegs]

am I correct that all this can ever show is compliance data even if he brings the card into the DME?

I feel bad since I tried to educate him about which machine to ask for but they still dumped him with the Plus - he told them he wanted a Resmed S8 Autoset and when he goes to pick it up they give him this instead. I was over there tonight and boy is that thing loud compared to my Austoset. Plus we could nto find a awy to see anthing other that usage info - no leak rate, AHI display at all (but maybe I just don't know how to find it on the PLus. Is it available on the Plus at all?

I'm bringing my machine over to show him on Friday so he can see how quiet mine is and the data I can access myslef.

[rested gal]

You're right, Brucelegs. The Respironics Plus give no data at all except hours of use.

Before he's stuck with that machine, perhaps you can give him the encouragement to insist on a machine which can give useful data. They are both "CPAP" machines, so will fill the prescription just fine. No new Rx needed. All that's needed is a DME who is willing to cooperate with a perfectly reasonable request to take back the Plus and give your friend one of these:

ResMed Elite II
or
Respironics REMstar Pro M series

The M series machines (I have three) are some of the noisiest I've used.

[brucelegs]

thanks RG for confirming my thoughts. I promise by this time next week he will have a data-capable machine. My DME said such wonderful things about me to him I was surprised he tried to pull this over on my friend. Maybe he didn't realize how close we are. I'm sure his doctor wants him to be able to monitor things on his own (he is diabetic, high BP and cholesterol issues too).

I wish there was a away to have a paying career as a CPAP patient advocate.

why do companies even make a machine that only provides usage compliance data?

[Poppi]

What is your opion of a Respironics REMSTAR PRO 2 C-FLEX?

Poppi

[rested gal]

why do companies even make a machine that only provides usage compliance data?

1. Cheaper.
2. That's all the insurance companies and Medicare are interested in knowing -- is the person using the machine often enough to justify our paying for it.

The doctors figure -- the sleep study found the right pressure...all the person needs to do is use the machine. It's up to the DME to give them the equipment. End of story.

The DMEs figure -- all we have to do is prove "compliance" to insurance. The cheaper the machine that can record hours of use information, the more profit. End of story.

The machines that provide only usage hours are probably the ones the DMEs order the most by far. The manufacturers are giving their customers (the DME, not you or I, is the manufacturers' real customer) what the customer wants. The DME is giving the insurance company what it wants -- proof of "compliance."

Poppi, I think the Respironics REMstar Pro CPAP with C-Flex is a good machine. If it's the M series model, it does give AHI and leak data. If it's the older non-M series model and has a "2" at the end of its name, it also gives AHI and leak data. If it's the older Pro with no "2" at the end of the name, it gives only hours of use.

[BlueSky72]

It seems to me like the part of the process that can be influenced is the doctor. If well-informed, responsible patients like us can develop evidence-based materials to win them over to the cause, then maybe we can increase the number of times doctors prescribe fully data capable machines. Doctors would need to see that patient involvement led to better health outcomes with safety and at a reasonable cost. (That's what we believe isn't it?)

[judway]

I traded my REMstar plus M series for a REMstar Pro M series today. I had the plus for just over a month. They weren't too happy, but I got it without any trouble. My card reader and viewer software are on order.

[rested gal]

Good for you, judway!

Hope your therapy goes very, very well.