Questions to ask the Dr. after a sleep study?

[pilipo]

I just finished a sleep study and sometime during the night the tech put a CPAP on me. I have an appointment with the Dr. on 8/29 to discuss the results. There is a ton of info on this site, actually too much for a nube like me.

I did sleep better after they put the CPAP on me. So, though I am pretty confident that SA is the correct diagnosis, I want to know what questions would be the most profitable to ask. So far, I have come up with these:

How many times did I wake up?
How many times did I stop breathing per hour?
What specifically prompted the technician to administer CPAP therapy?
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder– did it manifest?
Non-invasive options; efficacy of the same


Any suggestions?

[themonk]

I would ask for a copy of my complete sleep study in advance of the meeting. There is very interesting information buried in them which might lead you to a few questions.

I wish I would have had this type of information when I had my first post-study meeting. I would have really pushed on why the diagnosis was made, what the best treatment options are for me as an individual, etc. As it happened, I was given a summary and told I had apnea and needed to use xPap with very little conversation.

Looking at the full results of both studies, there appears to be more going on. I guess I would say to question everything. There is no guarantee that your doc is a good one, or even if so, isn't 100% correct. It is a new field and there is still much to learn. It is worth it to question everything so you can become as educated as possible and pick the best possible treatment for you as an individual. It may not change anything but at least you will know exactly what is going on.

[pilipo]

I would ask for a copy of my complete sleep study in advance of the meeting. There is very interesting information buried in them which might lead you to a few questions.

Great idea! I'll check that out.

I wish I would have had this type of information when I had my first post-study meeting. I would have really pushed on why the diagnosis was made, what the best treatment options are for me as an individual, etc. As it happened, I was given a summary and told I had apnea and needed to use xPap with very little conversation.

One thing the Dr. said prior to the SS was that there is a high correlation between SA and Parkinson's. So, your point re: " . . .why the diagnosis . . ." is one I need to push.

. . . It is a new field and there is still much to learn. It is worth it to question everything so you can become as educated as possible and pick the best possible treatment for you as an individual.

Agree. Thank you for responding.

[DreamDiver]

I would ask for a copy of my complete sleep study in advance of the meeting.

Be sure to ask the report to include condensed graphs with the full study prior to your meeting. If your study is atypical (mostly centrals or something else), ask that the report include reasonable graph examples from your study at appropriate resolution of the atypical behavior.

Also ask that your prescription be written in such a way that you can decide whether to get APAP or CPAP. A;so don't let the prescription say just nasal mask or full-face mask. You want the option of either.

[Henry Jr]

If you haven't already...

http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... de-to.html

http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... -test.html

[pilipo]

Be sure to ask the report to include condensed graphs with the full study prior to your meeting. If your study is atypical (mostly centrals or something else), ask that the report include reasonable graph examples from your study at appropriate resolution of the atypical behavior.

I would not have thought to ask that.

. . .so don't let the prescription say just nasal mask or full-face mask. You want the option of either.

Noted.

Thank You.

[pilipo]

If you haven't already...

http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... de-to.html

http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... -test.html

Very, very useful. Thank you.

[mayondair]

Hello, and welcome! You will want to read. http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/. before you accept a machine. Do your homework, call your insurance and ask some questions around here. Unfortunately, some. DMEs ( those who supply machines) have the reputation of used car salesmen. You may want your doc to RX a specific model , you will want a copy of your RX. , and you will definitely want full data capabilities. Don't rush, get it right , it's very hard to exchange later. Kathy

[chunkyfrog]

EFFICACY DATA: (AHI, HI, CI, LEAK, waveform data)
A lot of doctors 'don't know' about it. Your DME may swear it's for 'clinical use only'.
Insist on it--(it's not just for geeks or clinicians--anyone can benefit--it could even save your life!)
Make sure it's specified on your prescription; insurance pays the same for a smart machine as for a dumb 'brick"
Your share should also be the same--if it's on your RX!
If it's out of pocket: cpap.com (shameless plug)

[pilipo]

Hello, and welcome! You will want to read. http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/. before you accept a machine.

Will do.

Do your homework, call your insurance and ask some questions around here. Unfortunately, some. DMEs ( those who supply machines) have the reputation of used car salesmen. You may want your doc to RX a specific model , you will want a copy of your RX. , and you will definitely want full data capabilities. Don't rush, get it right , it's very hard to exchange later. Kathy

Thanks Kathy. I am seeing that I have a lot of prep work to do. I am fortunate that this site exists and that I found it.

[pilipo]

. . . Make sure it's specified on your prescription; . . .

Do you mean that the efficacy data should be specified?

[mayondair]

Most insurance cos pay by the code EO601, which will get you any CPAP or AutoPap, from a dumb dataless brick to a top of the line smart machine. So your RX couldsay " X Manufacturer. Xmodel at # pressure" or. " CPAP at # pressure, pt acess to Leak, AHI, etc" or if buying without insurance online, any CPAP RX will get you an AutoPAP. Or CPAP of your choice. We can help with softwear . Janknitz explains the ins and outs of insurance and RX s very well in her blog. Also, don't be afraid to run anything by the forum, just don't sign on the bottom line or take home a machine until you are sure. And it's a good idea to verify model numbers on machines, some DMEs have been known to be dishonest or uninformed.
So, see your doc, ask questions, get your RX, crunch some numbers , and shop around. You can also just get masks from a local DME , easier to try on that way, and machine elsewhere. We're here to help! Kathy

[chunkyfrog]

It's like a "request for proposal" : If it's not specified, you don't get it, as a rule.
The request, like a prescription, must be specific-- or your insurance will pay the same and you will get the bottom of the line clunker.

[gertrude]

I'd second the advice to get a copy of your sleep study before you see the doc. And, unless you have been doing enough research to understand the terms, read it with the definitions on this site by your side.

When I finally got a copy of my report, it raised all sorts of questions that I wanted to talk over with my doctor. For example, if my OSA is so positional, why can't we treat it by controlling my position? I initially felt pushed into cpap without adequate consideration of my individual circumstances because such questions hadn't been addressed and that didn't help my initial adjustment, to say the least. But I hadn't found this site at that point and I was a bit shellshocked by the diagnosis. You'll do much better since you are educating yourself now.

Also, understanding the sleep study was a huge help in trying to understand the therapy and using my data to monitor its effectiveness. Just getting familiar with the terminology and the abbreviations is a big step.

[ChicagoGranny]

Some great, detailed resources have been posted. Thanks.

Here is a short, simple list of questions I found on cpaptalk:

Questions to ask about your PSG and Titration Study
wiki/index.php/Sleep_study