Encore Pro software missing data - my email to Respironics

[Nodzy]

After experiencing my third night of missing “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages over multiple weeks, I sent Respironics the following email. While it may get little reaction from them, it will be for a long time found on the web for others to read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greetings,

This communication regards a data reporting problem with the Auto-M A-Flex DS510 REMstar, mated with Encore Pro 1.8.49 software.

I am a patient / user of the M-series Auto A-Flex and Encore Pro software. After recently switching to an Auto-M A-Flex DS510 REMstar, I am receiving the first obviously beneficial SDB therapy I have had in over five years of treatment.

I chose to use the Encore Pro software due to learning from disturbing experiences that unless I am intimately proactive in my daily therapy I will not receive what I need when I need it. Medical professionals that I have been exposed to, generally, have proven time and again to be far too slow, inattentive and less than fully knowledgeable and sufficiently forthright about OSA and my particular case.

The data reporting problem:
For unknown reason(s) “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages for one or more days will be absent from an Encore Pro patient report. Yet, the “Summary of Compliance – All Data” page displays cumulative data that includes the absent “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” days, and tallies appear to be correct.

The “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages are vital to my successful therapy. If one or more of those report pages are absent I have no way to correlate events during sleep to feeling worse, or somewhat better, on any particular day. There is no data displayed with which I can relate those experienced results to.

After speaking with respiratory therapists, several doctors and numerous other patients who use the Encore Pro software paired with M-series flow generators, I have discovered that the missing data problem is very common and sporadically persistent.

I find it disturbing that a seemingly excellent product and software match would have such a glaring inconsistency in presenting complete and accurate patient data.

In conclusion:
My health and longevity are dependent upon using a flow generator for the rest of my life. I chose to purchase a Respironics product due to machine features, reputation and proven reliability. Now I wonder if I should have chosen a competitive brand and model.

Please advise me if the problems will be remedied and in what timeframe.

Sincerely,

[Nodzy McNodder]

[Goofproof]

Maybe they will have to take a "Classic" apart and relearn how to build XPAP's with features that work. Jim

Nice letter BTW.

[Nodzy]

Maybe they will have to take a "Classic" apart and relearn how to build XPAP's with features that work. Jim

Nice letter BTW.

Jim,

I agree. I wonder, though, if they didn't rush the M-eseries to market prematurely to generate cash flow boost for their new manufacturing facility. Yep, yep... I wonder. And I wonder how interested they are in correcting the problems in order to avoid any sales revenue loss. Of course, few people would discover anything about the problems before purchasing the units and software.

Oh well..... (isn't that what the CEO said just before allowing the M-series and software to be marketed with existing problems?)

Nodzy

[danw61]

Nodzy,

Thanks for taking the lead & trying to get to the bottom of the issue & trying to find a solution. I'm just starting out with cpap but I'll be pretty iritated if I start missing data.

Dan

[Nodzy]

Nodzy,

Thanks for taking the lead & trying to get to the bottom of the issue & trying to find a solution. I'm just starting out with cpap but I'll be pretty iritated if I start missing data.

Dan

Dan,

I appreciate the back-pat.... but I'm certain that others before me voiced the problem strong and loud to Respironics, by phone, mail and email.

It's just that I posted the email/letter I sent to them on the board so that it'll show up in search engines for a very long time.

Nodzy

[Guest]

The M Series machines were originally designed/tested, and were planned to be marketed as a "Travel" CPAP. They were not intended for extended day to day use, however after Respironics caught wind of the smaller CPAP's comming out of Resmed and PB they shifted focus. They started "altering" the design to see how they could make it work for people on a day to day basis.

[Nelson]

Thanks for writing the letter.

I've only been a lurker on this issue but I've had the same lost data issue using 1.8i. It has been an intermittant problem.

Let's remember that there is also a problem involving the M-Series with the 7 day leak reporting that is shown on the LCD. This leak data problem does not involve the Encore Pro software.

The questions are:
Will they issue a firmware update for the M Series
Will the firmare update fix both issues
How will end users get access to the firmware update

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Encore Pro

[ozij]

Very nice letter, Nodzy.

O.

[Nodzy]

The M Series machines were originally designed/tested, and were planned to be marketed as a "Travel" CPAP. They were not intended for extended day to day use, however after Respironics caught wind of the smaller CPAP's comming out of Resmed and PB they shifted focus. They started "altering" the design to see how they could make it work for people on a day to day basis.

akcpapguy,

I've read that, and have no qualms with original intent and the final product-to-market item. I think the unit format, overall, is great.

However, it seems to me that a respected name such as Respironics would not be associated with long-unresolved and persistent “missing patient data issues” and “on-unit LCD screen data reporting errors” on a prescription-only medical device.

Should I be thankful that Respironics is not manufacturing medications? Absolutely.

That the data issues remain unresolved, without widespread word from Respironics on when, or if, they will resolve the issues in existing units in-use causes me great concern. I see that as a lack of caring about the end user, despite that they don’t want end users to have the software anyway.

The existing in-use problem units should be replaced at no charge by Respironics with units that have complete accuracy and totality of function at all times. Or, at least, fixes should be authorized and available for service centers to install at no charge to end users.

If they cannot get the software right… then they should farm it out to people who can get it right, and who can quickly issue free updates or free upgrades if a software issue is discovered.

In truth, despite really liking the therapy results I get with the M-series Auto A-Flex, I am seriously considering a switch to a competitive brand of PAP unit. With missing daily event data and error prone leak data on the LCD screen, I have to question all of the accuracy and reliability of the entire M-series line of units and the software.

Sad, but I have no loyalty to a company that builds profits on my pennies and sells (regardless of where the end user obtained the unit) a faulty product and expects me to be quiet and tolerate the fixable problems. If their immediate profits are more important than user loyalty… they'll probably lose me as a user / customer.

Nodzy

[Goofproof]

The questions are:
Will they issue a firmware update for the M Series
Will the firmare update fix both issues
How will end users get access to the firmware update

1. No, it would involve, sending the machine back to them, for reflashing or board replacement. They don't care that it doesn't work, we are patients, or mushrooms, they don't bend to our needs. If they were going to correct it they would have got it right before shipping A-Flex machines. To them this is a non-issue.

2. They havn't fixed either issue, the odd's of them fixing both, zero.

3. The only way a update could be applied is by sending the unit back, since they don't consider it a problem they won't recall them, not a pressing safety issue.

Keep those Mushrooms in the Dark, and don't forget to Water US.

"Tanks Rule" Jim

[Guest]

After experiencing my third night of missing “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages over multiple weeks, I sent Respironics the following email. While it may get little reaction from them, it will be for a long time found on the web for others to read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greetings,

This communication regards a data reporting problem with the Auto-M A-Flex DS510 REMstar, mated with Encore Pro 1.8.49 software.

I am a patient / user of the M-series Auto A-Flex and Encore Pro software. After recently switching to an Auto-M A-Flex DS510 REMstar, I am receiving the first obviously beneficial SDB therapy I have had in over five years of treatment.

I chose to use the Encore Pro software due to learning from disturbing experiences that unless I am intimately proactive in my daily therapy I will not receive what I need when I need it. Medical professionals that I have been exposed to, generally, have proven time and again to be far too slow, inattentive and less than fully knowledgeable and sufficiently forthright about OSA and my particular case.

The data reporting problem:
For unknown reason(s) “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages for one or more days will be absent from an Encore Pro patient report. Yet, the “Summary of Compliance – All Data” page displays cumulative data that includes the absent “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” days, and tallies appear to be correct.

The “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages are vital to my successful therapy. If one or more of those report pages are absent I have no way to correlate events during sleep to feeling worse, or somewhat better, on any particular day. There is no data displayed with which I can relate those experienced results to.

After speaking with respiratory therapists, several doctors and numerous other patients who use the Encore Pro software paired with M-series flow generators, I have discovered that the missing data problem is very common and sporadically persistent.

I find it disturbing that a seemingly excellent product and software match would have such a glaring inconsistency in presenting complete and accurate patient data.

In conclusion:
My health and longevity are dependent upon using a flow generator for the rest of my life. I chose to purchase a Respironics product due to machine features, reputation and proven reliability. Now I wonder if I should have chosen a competitive brand and model.

Please advise me if the problems will be remedied and in what timeframe.

Sincerely,

[Nodzy McNodder]

The email reply from Respironics:

Hello [Nodzy],

I am not sure exactly what error you speak of regarding the Encore software. We have no known bugs of missing report data in the Encore Pro 1.8. The sleep therapy daily details will only give you the nine most recent therapy sessions, as the smartcards can only hold a certain amount of data. Any days of device usage before that period will give you only compliance information.

Encore Pro is also not intended for use by patients. The software allows you to change your pressures on a prescription device, which is against the law. However, we are currently in the final development stages of Encore Viewer, a patient version of Encore pro. We hope to have this released by late October 2007. You can check http://www.cpapman.com at that time to see its availability.

Thanks, Respironics Product Support.

I will be sending to Respironics, and also making available to them on my domain in .pdf format, a weekly (7-day) patient data report clearly reflecting the missing daily data two consecutive days.

Ok... maybe it's just me... not being able to discern that several sequential pages of Daily Data are absent in a saved-from-Encore-Pro .pdf file.

I wonder how many arms and legs the Encore Viewer will cost each user to obtain. Ok... maybe just fingers and toes. If they really want to head the market they would make the Encore Viewer a part of the unit purchase without raising the cost of the unit package = unit sales higher ↑ there. But, too, I don’t understand what entices people to buy.

Nodzy

[Nodzy]

After experiencing my third night of missing “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages over multiple weeks, I sent Respironics the following email. While it may get little reaction from them, it will be for a long time found on the web for others to read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greetings,

This communication regards a data reporting problem with the Auto-M A-Flex DS510 REMstar, mated with Encore Pro 1.8.49 software.

I am a patient / user of the M-series Auto A-Flex and Encore Pro software. After recently switching to an Auto-M A-Flex DS510 REMstar, I am receiving the first obviously beneficial SDB therapy I have had in over five years of treatment.

I chose to use the Encore Pro software due to learning from disturbing experiences that unless I am intimately proactive in my daily therapy I will not receive what I need when I need it. Medical professionals that I have been exposed to, generally, have proven time and again to be far too slow, inattentive and less than fully knowledgeable and sufficiently forthright about OSA and my particular case.

The data reporting problem:
For unknown reason(s) “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages for one or more days will be absent from an Encore Pro patient report. Yet, the “Summary of Compliance – All Data” page displays cumulative data that includes the absent “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” days, and tallies appear to be correct.

The “Sleep Therapy Daily Details” pages are vital to my successful therapy. If one or more of those report pages are absent I have no way to correlate events during sleep to feeling worse, or somewhat better, on any particular day. There is no data displayed with which I can relate those experienced results to.

After speaking with respiratory therapists, several doctors and numerous other patients who use the Encore Pro software paired with M-series flow generators, I have discovered that the missing data problem is very common and sporadically persistent.

I find it disturbing that a seemingly excellent product and software match would have such a glaring inconsistency in presenting complete and accurate patient data.

In conclusion:
My health and longevity are dependent upon using a flow generator for the rest of my life. I chose to purchase a Respironics product due to machine features, reputation and proven reliability. Now I wonder if I should have chosen a competitive brand and model.

Please advise me if the problems will be remedied and in what timeframe.

Sincerely,

[Nodzy McNodder]

The email reply from Respironics:

Hello [Nodzy],

I am not sure exactly what error you speak of regarding the Encore software. We have no known bugs of missing report data in the Encore Pro 1.8. The sleep therapy daily details will only give you the nine most recent therapy sessions, as the smartcards can only hold a certain amount of data. Any days of device usage before that period will give you only compliance information.

Encore Pro is also not intended for use by patients. The software allows you to change your pressures on a prescription device, which is against the law. However, we are currently in the final development stages of Encore Viewer, a patient version of Encore pro. We hope to have this released by late October 2007. You can check http://www.cpapman.com at that time to see its availability.

Thanks, Respironics Product Support.

I will be sending to Respironics, and also making available to them on my domain in .pdf format, a weekly (7-day) patient data report clearly reflecting the missing daily data two consecutive days.

Ok... maybe it's just me... not being able to discern that several sequential pages of Daily Data are absent in a saved-from-Encore-Pro .pdf file.

I wonder how many arms and legs the Encore Viewer will cost each user to obtain. Ok... maybe just fingers and toes. If they really want to head the market they would make the Encore Viewer a part of the unit purchase without raising the cost of the unit package = unit sales higher ↑ there. But, too, I don’t understand what entices people to buy.

Nodzy

[Wulfman...]

The software allows you to change your pressures on a prescription device, which is against the law.

It would be interesting to try to pin them down on WHICH law this violates.

However, we are currently in the final development stages of Encore Viewer, a patient version of Encore pro.

'Bout time!!! (I suggested it to them 2 1/2 years ago)

It'll be interesting to see what it shows.


Den

[TXKajun]

'Bout darn time someone called them on their goofy software! I think all of ya'll who have had problems outta email them till they realize and admit that they DO have problems, have had problems for a long time and will continue to have problems until they fix it! Hmmm, how much did ya'll pay for software that don't work right???

Course, if ya'll had a PB unit with the Silverlining software, ya'll wouldn't be having these problems. *tongue planted firmly in cheek*

Kajun

[Wulfman...]

Hmmmmm....I'm wondering if it will produce download files and be compatible with EPA or MyEncore.....

Time will tell.

Den