How is the follow up supposed to work?

[tetragon]

I'm just curious about how the follow up process would ideally work. I don't think it would match what I, or many of you, actually encountered.

[The Choker]

It would not surprise me that some bored soul will write a detailed answer in which they try to cover everything. Just remember that someone has to pay the medical professionals for performing that "everything" and no one will be willing to pay it when they see the big bill.

For me, "ideal" from the medical professionals would have been, "You have obstructive sleep apnea. Your condition is very dangerous. Your prescription is for CPAP at 10 cm with an Auto machine and efficacy software. You should join cpaptalk.com, get yourself educated and get those people to help you with your therapy. If you find that there is something you need a prescription for then call us. Beyond that we either can't help you or we are too expensive. Good luck."

Things would have happened more quickly for me, with less frustration and less expense.

[BlackSpinner]

My followup consisted of finding out what my titration level is (one month after getting the cpap machine) When I told him that I knew how to do that and that even on 7 I had a list of my AHI and I planned to buy everything on the internet, he smiled at me, wrote me a new prescription and a referral for next year sleep test IF my AHI went out of wack.

I don't know what would have gone down if I was having problems.

My DME never got in touch with me for follow up sales - ever. In fact they made it very hard to buy supplies from them, requiring appoints weeks in advance to pick up filters. They got down right nasty when I walked in to buy some, in spite of the fact that they have a storefront in a mall.

[jaybee72]

4.5 years since my titration; maybe they'll schedule mine soon?

If your insurance doesn't require compliance data (mine didn't) theres not much reason for them to follow up.

I guess that's not fair - my DME follows up via an annoying automated phone recording every 3 months asking what thy could sell me. Ive tried man times to get hem to stop hat follo-up

[chunkyfrog]

There would have been no follow-up, but I needed a prescription.
He's not a bad sort, but If either of us had REAL problems, I could not say. . .

[nanwilson]

Over 2 years ago for me....and I still haven't heard from them. I thought they would call me after a month or so in just to see how I was coping...but not even that. Thanks friends, you have been my therapy "help" and my purchases have been with our on-line supplier. No DME for me, they don't seem to care how you are doing nor do they want anymore of your $$$.

[Elle]

I last saw the sleep doc in the summer of 2006 when he handed me my prescription.

[LSAT]

In my case, I last saw my 'sleep doctor' 60 days after my titration. He asked how I was doing with my CPAP and gave me a copy of my prescription and sleep study. Last year at my annual physical, I showed the prescription to my GP and asked him to write a new one with some modifications for me.

[portiemom]

The same here, no follow-up from the sleep doc. since I got the machine (2006), but then she was a certified with 30 hours of sleep apena education! What a joke. My GP wrote all my scripts for equipment, but after 30+ years of treating me she's gone to some co-op insurance that requires me to pay double insurance premiums, no way, so now I must find a sleep doc to get the scripts. Hard enough to find a good GP that will take a new patient these days! UGH hatin it

[king_alvaro]

I was different, I went to all the appointments. On my fifth appointment I started noticing that they only wanted my money. They weren't doing anything. The doc ask "how I was feeling" I responded, "still tired." He responded I see you next month. After that I have never went back. I bought my machine of Craigslist and buy all my supplies from eBay. I have other people that I know that the doctor threatens to take the machine away from them if they don't keep going to the appointments. Me luckily he cant take my machine. I returned the CPAP loaner and bought an APAP machine for a lot cheaper price.

[edm_msu]

by The Choker on Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:27 pm

For me, "ideal" from the medical professionals would have been, "You have obstructive sleep apnea. Your condition is very dangerous. Your prescription is for CPAP at 10 cm with an Auto machine and efficacy software. You should join cpaptalk.com, get yourself educated and get those people to help you with your therapy. If you find that there is something you need a prescription for then call us. Beyond that we either can't help you or we are too expensive. Good luck."

I like your answer. Insurance rules require me to follow up at 1 months and 3 months. When I went to my general practioner for my 1 month follow up, we spent the time discussing completely unrelated topics. At 3 months, it will be the same. I'm sure I already know a lot more than my doctor about apnea, and I don't know much. If I have any real concerns, I'll see a sleep specialist.

I will say that my general practioner has been completely cooperative and that she is the one who ordered the first sleep study, so I'm happy with her.
Ed M.

[motherall]

I seem to have lucked into a winner with my pulmonologist. He had treated me years ago for asthma and pneumonia in the hospital but was not in my network so I couldn't see him after discharge. I was seeing another one for the next seven years who was the "pat on the head, keep up your meds, you're 100% compliant, exercise and lose weight" type. He did my inital sleep study, ordered my machine and generally looked after my care, i.e. card read every six months, second sleep study after 5 years with pressure bumped up to14 from 12. Then my favorite doctor came into my netowrk and I hurried back there. New sleep study, new machine at 10, wonderful staff who can answer most questions and they have a respiratory tech on staff who handles just the sleep patients. So I have the best of all worlds - great care for my asthma, and interest in and care for the apnea.