Would a Private Boycot of ResMed be a Fair Tactic?

[SaltLakeJan]

If ResMed's policy regarding software has changed toward the users . . . Should the users policy toward ResMed change?

No offense Slinky - No denying ResMed machines are sweet, I am just wondering.

I currently have a F&P 608. Great machine, but no sofware for users. I was waiting for the completion & results of a sleep study before purchasing ResMed 8 Elite ll with Res.Scan 3.7. I need a machine with software. It has been frustrating to have no idea what is happening in my therapy.

I don't want to embarass Cpap - but wonder how the users feel about purchasing ResMed Masks or other products.

According to cpap.com, ResMed has changed their policy and will no longer allow their software to be sold to end users (at least in the U.S.).
I just purchased an S8 AutoSet II (with the card reader and software) but am now concerned about the future.

What is the likelihood that the current version will run under Windows 7?

If I had known that this was about to happen, I probably would have purchased a different machine.

I don't quite understand what ResMed is thinking.

Wow! Now that would be a deal breaker for me.

Jan

[jnk]

Jan,

I would boycott any company I was mad at, no problem.

However, have you ever used a ResMed efficacy-data machine?

According to rested gal on June 17 of this year:

"I personally think that with a ResMed machine, the data you can get from the LCD window is sufficiently informative. I definitely would want software for other manfacturers' machines, but I wouldn't bother getting the ResMed software, myself. I'd use the AHI and leak info that's available in the mornings from the machine's window to make my tweaking decisions with a ResMed machine. Just my opinion." -- viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42586&p=377303#p377303

I agree with that.

ResMed machines that have data don't need software to give you the data you need.

So I would be more likely to boycott the OTHER manufacturers for not giving us better data from the screen and thus forcing us to buy software to get the data we need.



jeff

Edited to add link to thread location of rg's statement.

[SaltLakeJan]

jnk,

Thanks for another point of view.

I would never disagree with R.G's analysis of ResMed's LCD. I enjoyed getting the LCD basic stats each morning. . . . but I wanted more. I wanted to know when my leaks occurred and how I was doing on an hour to hour basis. Did my leaks occur regularily at 1:pm? I had all sorts of questions that I thought the software would answer.

I was a newbie, if I was sure my therapy was working I would have been content with the LCD report. It certainly would have been a cheaper solution.

Jan

[jnk]

Seeing the timing of leaks and events is interesting information, but it doesn't really change my choices in my therapy, such as what pressures or mask I use or how I sleep. I think any ResMed user with OSA would be better served buying a recording oximeter instead of the software, myself. Now THAT'S useful info.

Don't get me wrong. I use the software occasionally. And I do very much wish that ResMed that would make a version of software for patients to use. And I would not consider ResMed one of my favorite companies. (I'm not even sure they'd make my top 50. Then again, few of the blower-makers would.) But my impression is that the official rules in the US (silly as they are) say a patient isn't supposed to be able to change pressures using software. ResScan has that ability, since it was designed by ResMed to be used by clinicians. ResMed does allow its software to be distributed to patients in the countries that don't mind ResMed doing so--the US just isn't one of those countries. That's not ResMed's fault, as I see it. And there are ways of getting the software if you want it, through unofficial channels.

I think that if anyone wants to boycott ResMed, there are better reasons to do it than the fact that the US doesn't allow them to distribute their clinicians' software to patients.

ALL the blower manufacturers have some 'splainin' to do when it comes to how clunky their machines are, relatively speaking, and how hard it is to squeeze information out of them (the machines AND the manufacturers). The manufacturers market to the DMEs more than to us, and the patient gets left behind in the industry's theory, the very WRONG theory, that the majority of DMEs do a good job of helping patients.

Anyway, I do applaud your activism and especially appreciate how nice you were to me (as you always are to eveyone, I might add) even with my expressing my contrary view.

I like being in the same forum with you and enjoy all your posts.

jeff

[sleepypp]

The graphical data is indispensable when analyzing the effectiveness of your therapy. ResMed should make available a US version of the software that would allow access to this critical data without violating any laws. Any policy or action designed to limit patients access to this data, is weakening the position of the person who is most affected by and interested in the results of the data. They are effectively putting the power back in the hands of the “professionals” who you have limited access to at best, and at a price you may or may not be able to pay.

Many people could care less what the data says. But many people are keenly interested in the application and effectiveness of the therapy, and they should not be denied.

I would most definitely find a machine that allows access to this data.

JMHO

Stacy

[roster]

The graphical data is indispensable when analyzing the effectiveness of your therapy. ......
Stacy

Absolutely. The daily detail graph in Respironics' Encore is something I can't do without. I haven't used the ResMed screen but I don't believe it could give me what I need.

You definitely need to see what happened and when. Especially if you have positional sleep apnea.

From the ResMed screen I might see that I had 30 apneas in 8 hours. But on the Respironics daily detail report I might see that 29 of them came in the 45 minutes that I slept on my back.

Phooey on ResMed if what I have heard is true. The cowards.

[SaltLakeJan]

Sleepypp wrote;

The graphical data is indispensable when analyzing the effectiveness of your therapy. ResMed should make available a US version of the software that would allow access to this critical data without violating any laws. Any policy or action designed to limit patients access to this data, is weakening the position of the person who is most affected by and interested in the results of the data. They are effectively putting the power back in the hands of the “professionals” who you have limited access to at

Most of the people who use software would agree with you.

There has always been a way around an inconvenient law; just ask your favorite politician.

Jan

[BiPappy]

No, I don't think we should boycott Resmed, as indicated by Jeff, because it is the FDA that prohibits software that can alter cpap pressure settings. Resmed does not adhere to this policy outside the US, which is quite indicative of why Resmed, because of the FDA, is restricting their Rescan software from their US market. If they had a choice, I believe they would offer Rescan directly to patients...more $$$ for them. And who is to say that they're not working on a consumer version of Rescan? To save cost, they didn't develop a consumer version of Rescan because they didn't have to, but they should now since the FDA is clamping down on software that can change pressure settings.

From my understanding, the LCD screen on data capable Resmed blowers offer more than sufficient data, less the colorful charts. Of course, others will find these charts indispensable. Personally, I like Resmed products and will continue to purchase Resmed products, regardless of their "QC and/or patient advocacy issues".

[dsm]

jnk,

Thanks for another point of view.

I would never disagree with R.G's analysis of ResMed's LCD. I enjoyed getting the LCD basic stats each morning. . . . but I wanted more. I wanted to know when my leaks occurred and how I was doing on an hour to hour basis. Did my leaks occur regularily at 1:pm? I had all sorts of questions that I thought the software would answer.

I was a newbie, if I was sure my therapy was working I would have been content with the LCD report. It certainly would have been a cheaper solution.

Jan

Just a thought - but have you considered buying the software from an Australian online supplier ? - we can buy it here ok ???
I know many others have done so.

Cheers

DSM

[Greybeard]

I have to disagree with some of the comments above. Although I am relatively new to this, I have been watching this forum and doing other research on my own. I do not think that the ResMed LCD info is adequate, although it is useful. With Rescan 3.7 I have discovered that the almost all of my AI's occur during significant leak periods, which is very useful in correcting the problem. My HI's, which comprise the majority of my apneas, do not seem to be at all correlated to leaks.This info would not be available to me otherwise except in a sleep lab. The LCD info consists of median averages for the night....only marginally useful in correcting problems.

Otherwise, this is a great forum with vastly higher quality information than I have been able to find elsewhere, including my Dr. and my DME.

[twokatmew]

Since it's an FDA rule preventing ResMed from selling ResScan to patients in this country, I wouldn't boycott ResMed for that. I might consider boycotting ResMed, however, for not adequately addressing the issue of poor quality in recently made Swift LT pillows. See the somewhat controversial thread at: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41729&st=0&sk=t&sd=d&start=135

Now that I think about it, I guess I'm already boycotting them, because I'm seriously testing other non-ResMed masks. I already own a ResMed machine, which I really like. I do wish, however, that ResScan provided the more detailed info that Encore Pro & Viewer provide.

I got ResScan from cpapaustralia.com at half the price of what we could previously buy it for in this country. Jan, instead of buying an Elite II, get an Autoset II, and I'll trade you for my Elite and the software.

[roster]

Since it's an FDA rule preventing ResMed from selling ResScan to patients in this country, I wouldn't boycott ResMed for that. .......

ResMed could easily modify their software so that it could not be used to change the pressure and then sell it to patients. Respironics did this fairly quickly with their Encore Viewer software.

I don't care which company it is, I will not buy a machine that I cannot get software for.

[SaltLakeJan]

I consider ResMed's software policy to be rigid, % not taking care of the people who keep them in business. It isn't the DME's, nor the sleep doctors. It is the sleep apnea patients who pay personally, or through their insurance for each ResMed product that is purchased in the U.S.
So, some group or organization with influence has pushed a ruling that ResMed is following.

BIPappy wrote:

And who is to say that they're not working on a consumer version of Rescan?

I hope that is true - but for some strange reason, I am not holding my breath waiting for this to happen.

I did have another reason for wanting ResMed software: Rooster wrote:

Absolutely. The daily detail graph in Respironics' Encore is something I can't do without.

You definitely need to see what happened and when. Especially if you have positional sleep apnea.

Rooster nailed it. I have a third degree case of back positional sleep apnea. I have responded to most threads suggesting ways of stopping back sleeping... They have not worked for me, I tried methods of my own without success.I do not like sleeping on my back because, I have mouth leaks, My mouth gets dry. My throat turns into a Sahara Desert, and I snore.

This verged off topic, but I plan to purchase another machine and the software. It will not be a ResMed .

Jan

[mars]

ResMed could easily modify their software so that it could not be used to change the pressure and then sell it to patients. Respironics did this fairly quickly with their Encore Viewer software.

Hi All

Rooster makes a very valid point. Resmed is responsible for their products.

My guess is that it would only take one or two days to disable the relevant code, maybe only one or two hours, and then there would be a user version available. Probably take longer to do the packaging etc.

So if the desire is there, it can soon be done.

cheers

Mars

[rosiefrosie]

I did send ResMed an e-mail about not selling the software to pts with the comment about people not buying their machines because of it. Their reply was to have my MD write a prescription for the software. Hmmmmm....... I was able to purchase the software from cpap.australia at a cheaper price than (if I could) buy it here. It took a little over a week to get it.