RESSCAN SOFTWARE VERSUS DATA FROM MACHINE

[kewpieliz]

I'VE READ A NUMBER OF POSTS HERE REFERRING TO BUYING/USING THE SOFTWARE TO TRACK DATA. DOES THE SOFTWARE TRACK INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE IN THE RESULTS MENU OF THE RESMED S8 ELITE II CPAP MACHINE? THE $200 FOR THE SOFTWARE, PLUS THE COST OF THE CARD READER OR CABLE SEEM KIND OF HIGH AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE ADVANTAGE(S) WERE TO HAVING THE SOFTWARE.

ALSO, MY PRESCRIPTION IS WRITTEN WITH THE FOLLOWING INCLUDED: "...AND ALL RELATED HEAD GEAR AND SUPPLIES." WOULD THAT COVER GETTING THE SOFTWARE IF I DECIDED TO GO FOR IT? I ALREADY PURCHASED A MASK FROM CPAP.COM SO THEY HAVE MY PRESCRIPTION ON FILE, BUT I WAS ALSO CURIOUS IF ANYONE'S INSURANCE EVER COVERED THE SOFTWARE AND/OR IF THE PRICE MIGHT BE LESS THROUGH THE DME IF INSURANCE COVERED IT.

I HAVE HAD MASK ISSUES, AND HAVE TRIED SEVERAL. RIGHT NOW I'M MAINLY ALTERNATING BETWEEN THE QUATTRO AND THE VISTA. BOTH HAVE THEIR PROS AND CONS. I LIKE THE WAY THE OPUS 360 HEAD GEAR FEELS LIKE I'M NOT WEARING IT, HOWEVER, I CAN'T STAND TO FEEL THE AIR BLOWING DIRECTLY INTO MY NOSE. IT MAKES MY NOSE AND SINUS' BURN AND I BECOME HYPERSENSITIVE TO SMELLS SUCH AS PERFUMES (GAG!). IF I TURN THE HUMIDIFIER UP TOO HIGH, I BECOME STUFFY AND IF I TURN IT TOO LOW, MY SINUS' AND NOSE BLEED.

I HAD MY SLEEP STUDY IN AUGUST 2009 AND HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO ADJUST TO THERAPY EVER SINCE. I'VE TRIED TO BE DILLIGENT ABOUT PUTTING ON MY MASK EVERY NIGHT EXCEPT A COUPLE WHEN MY SINUS' WERE JUST TOO AWFUL. AS WITH MANY OF YOU, I WASN'T GIVEN MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT MY TREATMENT. THE DME JUST KEPT EMPHACIZING I HAD TO USE IT AT LEAST 4 HRS A NIGHT TO BE COMPLIANT ENOUGH FOR MY INSURANCE TO PAY. THEY WEREN'T VERY HELPFUL ABOUT OFFERING ASSISTANCE SO I COULD BE COMPLIANT!

I'VE FOUND SUCH A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON THIS FORUM AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU. I WAS SO FRUSTRATED AT ONE TIME I WAS LITERALLY IN TEARS!
THANKS!
NEWBIE KEWPIELIZ

[ozij]

I'VE READ A NUMBER OF POSTS HERE REFERRING TO BUYING/USING THE SOFTWARE TO TRACK DATA. DOES THE SOFTWARE TRACK INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE IN THE RESULTS MENU OF THE RESMED S8 ELITE II CPAP MACHINE? THE $200 FOR THE SOFTWARE, PLUS THE COST OF THE CARD READER OR CABLE SEEM KIND OF HIGH AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE ADVANTAGE(S) WERE TO HAVING THE SOFTWARE.

The software lets you see when events happened. If you have to trouble shoot leaks, and high AHI scores, the way the events were distributed during the night - at random or in clusters - and their co-occurence are data that may be important, and that you'll never get from the screen.

O.

[JohnBFisher]

Yes, the software and reader are expensive. But as ozij notes, it allows you to SEE what's happening. I took my data card to my DME who noted "You might have some problems with leaking". I got the software and saw that some nights I had Large Leaks ALL NIGHT LONG! I might have "some" problem with leaks. Give me a break!

The real difference is that you start to better manage you own symptoms and make certain the therapy is effective.

As an example, you have tried to understand what works for you and what does not. And that's incredibly important. I also use the Quattro. I'm trying other masks, because I sometimes need VERY high pressures (23cm H2O). So, I need to REALLY strap on my mask. The Quattro (and all other masks) would be a lot more comfortable at a lower pressure.

But the key is that you are finding what works for you. And the software is just another part of that.

Unfortunately, insurance companies will not pay for the software or card reader. I wish they would, especially since it helps lead to better compliance. But they tend to be penny wise and pound foolish!. My RT at my DME recently told me about a story where - due to a lost CPAP unit - an insurance company would not pay for a replacement CPAP unit, but would pay for a new BiPAP unit, which they then set to CPAP pressures. It's a REALLY expensive CPAP. The insurance company could have saved more than 1/2 the cost by just paying for the CPAP. Now that's just plain ol' stupid.

So, congratulations on your progress. I know how tough it can be. You are doing a great job.

[kewpieliz]

I saw some earlier posts that the ResScan software wasn't going to made available to patients.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42750&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... er#p377153

But I see it is still listed on CPAP.com. Has that changed or was that misinformation?

Thanks!
Kewpieliz

[dtsm]

There are many on-line sites that sell both the software and card reader or usb adapter, including cpap.com.