Don't blame RT/DME

[roster]

....... for the vast majority I think that the whole delivery of information should be graduated into various levels of competence that is monitored and rubber stamped by professionals.

Put another government body between patients and their good health? Total nonsense.

[Sleepy Taz]

Rickskids,

First and foremost I want to thank you for helping to keep our country safe from those who would do us harm. My father was a 20 year man starting with WWII and I grew up in about 10 different places. I do not believe that the “ignorant” comment was directed towards you, but your comments were just as rude towards the original poster. Part of what you and your fellow service people fought for is freedom of speech and this being an open forum, all who wish to should be allowed to air their thoughts and through our experiences we can choose to listen to the message or ignore it. I know someone who was in the service and he is a lazy good for nothing malcontent and if I judged all people who served by my bad experience with this one I would include a lot of real good people in that bad list. Same goes for most professions and just plain people in general. I cannot tell you how to think or act but I would think that a man with your life’s experiences would at least give someone the benefit of the doubt until they prove themselves unworthy. Again, thanks for your sacrifice and I hope that the USA takes good care of you like you did it.

Dennis

[DJ_Boxer]

I believe and follow through with this belief that even though I can look at my reports and change my pressure: CPAP/APAP, I would only do it after consulting with my doctor. Also it's hard to believe that it is getting harder to use a machine and get the patient version of the software that works with your machine and computer(my case: Encore Viewer 1 and currently have Vista x64 getting 7 Professional for XP Mode).


DJ

LinkC: I agree with you and that is what I said in my post at the beginning: Consult with your Doctor before making any changes, it is a second opinion and always especially in the medical field and it comes to your health get a second opinion to see if what the first person(you) and the second person(Doctor) matches up in any way. I understand the companies getting rid of the full version of their card reader software but absolutely don't when it comes to the patient version of the software.


DJ

[roster]

Consult with your Doctor before making any changes, it is a second opinion and always especially in the medical field and it comes to your health get a second opinion to see if what the first person(you) and the second person(Doctor) matches up in any way. .....

What about this type of "second opinion" which I received "second hand":

I referred a friend who has been on CPAP for a few years and is feeling poorly to my sleep doctor. The friend came over before her consultation and I gave her some documents on what to say and ask. I also gave her copies of two Encore Pro Daily Details report. The first report showed a typical bad night using the prescription a former sleep doc had given me. The second report showed a very good night after I had everything tweaked.

The friend called this afternoon to report on the consultation. She said it was a very good meeting with the doc and she thanked me for the advice and the documentation which she took into the consultation. The doc scheduled her for another sleep study.

Before she left the doc asked, "What are those documents you have?". My friend showed the documents to the doc who was very interested in them, particulary the Encore Pro reports.

The doc asked who the documents were from. My friend told the doc, "They are from real name (Rooster), your patient who referred me."

The doc (also a female) got a big smile on her face and said, "I should have known. It could be no one else. I have no other patient like Rooster."

Then the doc said, "Before you leave, I want you to know that the study my sleep lab does for you will not be nearly as accurate as what Rooster does with his software."

Aha! This is what I have been saying. One quick night in the strange environment of a sleep lab with things glued and taped on your body and people watching you remotely with infrared cameras and listening to you with microphones and you will not sleep the same way you do at home.

I was glad to see my doctor admit what you guys taught me. If you want a good therapy you better get the software, get educated, and take charge of your own therapy. Thank you cpaptalk members and thanks to Johnny Goodman.


posting.php?mode=quote&f=1&p=395958

[DoriC]

The problem I see with depending solely on an open forum for your education is the fairly substantial amount of misinformation available. Much of it gets repeated so often it's soon accepted as "fact".

You need to research elsewhere (and--dare I say it--run some of it by your competent professional!) before acting on it.

Don't take just anything (even what *I* post) as gospel...

Pretty early on I was able to evaluate who the real "competent pros" here were who were teaching me the vital information I needed to help my husband. Only a small few are now my go-to people when I'm in trouble and they've never failed to make helpful suggestions. I also love reading mostly everyone's posts that interest me as I'm always finding something I didn't know before and if so inclined I will research it further to make sure it's accurate. I don't find too much misinformation here, just differing opinions. I'm grateful to all my friends on this forum because they have helped me bring my dear husband back from the brink of cpap failure and surely a very bad outcome. Dori

[LinkC]

I'm always finding something I didn't know before and if so inclined I will research it further to make sure it's accurate.

That's a very good idea. I do that if it's something important. And quite often it is accurate; but way too many times I find it's not.

I don't find too much misinformation here, just differing opinions.

Not talking about opinions. (You know what opinions are like... ) I'm talking about advice based on "facts"...which aren't, or "common knowledge"...which is neither.

[deadhead77]

....... for the vast majority I think that the whole delivery of information should be graduated into various levels of competence that is monitored and rubber stamped by professionals.

Put another government body between patients and their good health? Total nonsense.

I just wonder how many people out in cpap land newly diagnosed, out of their tree with exhaustion and probably hung up due to long term dealing with osa are likely to have a bad experience or find it all too confusing and give up. What is so wrong with a simple step by step education program that can go from the basics right up to, whatever with a simple reward/ certificate to prove you did it. Not everyone is bright enough to see the whole picture strait away, (I ain't I can tell you) How encouraging to know at your very first diagnosis that you are on a treatment path that you can follow at your own pace and eventually take responsibility for if you want to.

No need for a government body, just a clear plan of action and hurdles plus few bits of paper that a doc can sign to say you reached x y or z level of treatment competence or whatever.

I would have taken that on board at my first diagnosis by the time I got home from the hospital I had forgotten most of what had been told and only focused o the mask fit until I gave up in frustration and nasal exhaustion.

That cost me almost another couple of years in the dead zone and if II had not found you guys I would still be there.

Incidentally, I just read a couple of my posts of yesterday, what a prat! talk about up my own arse Mind you, there were two pints of 'Old Speckled Hen' in there... sorry about that.

[roster]

I'm always finding something I didn't know before and if so inclined I will research it further to make sure it's accurate.

That's a very good idea. I do that if it's something important. And quite often it is accurate; but way too many times I find it's not.

.....

Yes, there is much misinformation in the forum. Please speak out against it when you see it.

However, you can look at the glass as half full or half empty. This is a very good forum and the testimony of many saying, "The forum saved me life," backs that up. Also, I never remember anyone posting that advice on the forum caused them serious damage.

Start trying to make this a perfect forum by putting in rules and restrictions and qualifications of facts and the forum will be destroyed.

I always tell my perfectionist relative, "In your pursuit of the perfect life, you will go to the grave having missed the good life."

[cinco777]

DoriC wrote

Pretty early on I was able to evaluate who the real "competent pros" here were who were teaching me the vital information I needed .......... Only a small few are now my go-to people

Same for me.

After reading and responding to CPAPTalk postings for 7 months, I've decided who the real CPAPTalk professionals are in the specific areas of interest to me. Their member names are now committed to memory. Some have posted 1000s of times whereas others have posted less than 100. I think that many of us learned in our careers and in our outside activities how to distinguish between a self-proclaimed expert and a real one. I use these learned skills in all the forums that I frequent. I'm still misled at times but those times are rare!

[roster]

No need for a government body, just a clear plan of action and hurdles plus few bits of paper that a doc can sign to say you reached x y or z level of treatment competence or whatever.

So who will decide what to do? You? Me? A DME? One of the many doctors who wants you to have no access to your data?

While we are at it, let's require a license for diabetics to check their blood-sugar levels and another license for them to adjust their medication.

[cinco777]

No need for a government body, just a clear plan of action and hurdles plus few bits of paper that a doc can sign to say you reached x y or z level of treatment competence or whatever.

Ludicrous suggestion IMHO. Please read my signature line for details.

[roster]

Don't take just anything (even what *I* post) as gospel...

Ditto.

I disagree with the "theory of experts". That is not the power of the forum. The power is that the forum is open to all comments and we can learn from novices and veterans. I feel free to post advice here because there are plenty of people who will speak up if they think my advice is wrong.

jnk used to have a Snoredog quote in his signature expressing this sentiment eloquently. Unfortunately my memory doesn't allow me to quote it.

One definition of an expert: A person who can learn no more.

[roster]

.... As far as changing pressures without the MD's order well thats covered by law. ..... I'm bound by my states licensure requirements and FDA. I must abide by the physicians order. I can't change the pressure without it. ........

If, in the distant future, your ever felt it was necessary to change your own pressure, would you do it without a doctor's orders?

[LinkC]

Yes, there is much misinformation in the forum. Please speak out against it when you see it.

I always have... (When it was an important issue.)

This is a very good forum and the testimony of many saying, "The forum saved me life," backs that up. Also, I never remember anyone posting that advice on the forum caused them serious damage.

Nor have I, but the potential is there.

Start trying to make this a perfect forum by putting in rules and restrictions and qualifications of facts and the forum will be destroyed.

Wasn't suggesting that.

[-SWS]

I disagree with the "theory of experts". That is not the power of the forum. The power is that the forum is open to all comments and we can learn from novices and veterans. I feel free to post advice here because there are plenty of people who will speak up if they think my advice is wrong.

It sounds as if you might subscribe to that decision-making social theory known as The Wisdom of Crowds.

I happen to also think that type of "laissez faire" and analytically-diverse approach describes the effectiveness of this forum.

Experts in general: When I encounter those who repeatedly remind crowds like ours why they should be taken as experts, then I tend to see gratification of basic social needs instead. Let the information stand in its own two legs despite our collective tendencies to be perfectly human.