Can you believe this shit?

[EricinNC]

Today I was told by the sleep lab that my sleep tech who would be titrating my new pressure would NOT be able to discuss it with me AT ALL the following morning when I wake up! Normally, there is a brief, informal run down of what they did, like if they raised my pressure or not and a fast rundown of what they found in the sleep study. I was told the full sleep study takes one to two weeks to get and that is totally normal, but not having the sleep tech be able to discuss with me ANYTHING the morning I wake up is ridiculous.

What is going on in sleep medicine these days? Are we going back to live with the Planet of the Apes or something? Is sleep medicine being taken over by a bunch of retards?

Eric

[Bons]

Techs are not diagnosticians. They are not allowed to share medical information with you; they report to doctors. That's how the law works.

Some are creative in finding ways to communicate information, but they are not supposed to. Ask any woman who's had a mammogram. They have to come back into the room, after looking at the lump in someone's breast and smile and say "have a great day". Once in awhile, if it's good, news, they might let that out but they sure as heck won't tell you bad news. My sleep study tech smiled when I left in the morning after my first overnight and said, "make sure you don't forget to take along the list of DME's we work with"- her way of letting me know I did indeed have sleep apnea.

And the law's a good thing. I was told my one day old baby had a malformed heart and needed to be evaluated the next day for consideration for transplant. Idiot intern had ordered a chest x-ray because he thought he saw a bluish tint along her lip when she cried in the nursery, and then gave me a diagnosis without ever checking with his attending physician or even asking the radiologist for her opinion. I spent a night terrorized, my baby in an isolette on oxygen, until a doctor looked at the films the next day. My baby had twisted during the x-ray.

Granted, sleep apnea study results are usually not life-threatening. But laws are laws for reasons.

[EricinNC]

I dont care about the "law." F*ck the "law."

You are supposed to have access to your medical records at all times, endeth of story. I was told today this is a new thing, a "new" standard of the industry. That sleep techs were informally telling patients, if they asked that is, what basic changes were made. Just brief, informal and casual rundown that might take a few seconds. So you would know something before the full sleep study comes thru in two weeks.

Not anymore, according to these people. Now the sleep docs want you in the dark for the entire time until they write up the full sleep report and submit it to your insurance before you even see it.

Ive had five sleep studies since 2000 and all but one I was told a brief outline when I asked when I awoke.

If this is indeed the "new standard" I say piss on the new standard. I want out of this sleep medicine crap. I want the results I was getting, but I want to find another way besides CPAP. Tracheotomy? Im 42, figure I wont live but another twenty years. Twenty years without CPAP and DMEs and sleep docs sounds awfully, awfully good.

Eric

[Julie]

You can access your records, but until they become records, and not just 'takes' by techs on the following morning, unseen as yet by the doctors or signed off on, they are not records, just raw data.

[NotMuffy]

Today I was told by the sleep lab that my sleep tech who would be titrating my new pressure would NOT be able to discuss it with me AT ALL the following morning when I wake up!

I think they meant they could explain it, but that you wouldn't understand it, consequently, a discussion could not occur.

[EricinNC]

Today I was told by the sleep lab that my sleep tech who would be titrating my new pressure would NOT be able to discuss it with me AT ALL the following morning when I wake up!

I think they meant they could explain it, but that you wouldn't understand it, consequently, a discussion could not occur.

No, thats not what I was told. I was told it could not be discussed AT ALL.

In the past, I was always given a brief rundown of whether my pressure was increased, to what, etc. Takes about ten seconds. Not anymore or at least not with this group I am using now. I was told "this is the new standard in the sleep medicine industry." I am like "bullshit to that."

This scenario: You wake up from your sleep study at 6 am. Put your clothes on and the sleep tech comes into check on you. Casually while groggy you ask, "so what did my pressure get changed to? Anything new significant? Uh, raised your minimum to 12. You will see the full deal on your sleep report in a few weeks from your sleep doc. Oh ok, see you later, thanks."

No more, according to the crowd Im using now.

WTF?

Eric

[Pugsy]

NotMuffy I think you probably should get your 2 X 4 out. I understood your comment loud and clear.

[bayourest]

The sleep tech who ran my studies was a doll. i am sure the whole thing would have been even weirder if it had not been for her. When they bring you back for a titration it's pretty obvious what the problem might be. The techs cannot discuss it or diagnose you. Why do you expect it? My tech simply said "I think our doctor can help you."

[miketech]

Perhaps I am walking in dangerous waters here, and I'll be skewered for saying this-- Could it be that the sleep lab tech might think you are a little bit of an arrogant jerk, and didn't want to have to give you the brief summary in the morning? (because he is not allowed to)

[Pugsy]

Perhaps I am walking in dangerous waters here, and I'll be skewered for saying this--

Nope, no skewering from me.

[BleepingBeauty]

I've had five sleep studies over the past few years. I have never been given any information in the morning from the sleep tech who was monitoring me (or from anyone else, for that matter). I get the results of the study when I see the doctor and/or receive a copy of the report, myself.

As others have stated, it's been my experience that this is SOP with any medical test being done.

[dilbert]

I went for my second sleep study last week. The guy told me he could not say anything. I asked anyway and he told me 8 but wait for a doctor's opinion.

[LinkC]

Could it be that the sleep lab tech might think you are a little bit of an arrogant jerk, and didn't want to have to give you the brief summary in the morning? (because he is not allowed to)

Only if they'd known each other for more than a minute...

[Madalot]

I've had five sleep studies over the past few years. I have never been given any information in the morning from the sleep tech who was monitoring me (or from anyone else, for that matter). I get the results of the study when I see the doctor and/or receive a copy of the report, myself.

As others have stated, it's been my experience that this is SOP with any medical test being done.

This has been my experience as well. During my diagnostic study, I used this as a means to some end: I told the tech that I knew she couldn't really tell me anything (and she agreed) but I asked her if she COULD tell me if she saw ANYTHING that could explain my problems. She smiled at me and said "Oh, yeah! You don't need to be concerned about that."

But I was nice to her and let her know that I understood her situation in that she wasn't supposed to tell me anything.

[Pugsy]

Since everyone is telling about their experience I will tell mine.

Went for sleep study fully prepared for split study. Short night, not much sleep disappointed to finally wake up with no mask on.
Tech says he couldn't really discuss it. I asked again and he said "you will be back for titration study (with a smile). Your oxygen level drop if nothing else will get you back. You didn't hear this from me." They have certain criteria that they have to follow and I didn't meet it due to not enough sleep.

Medical techs are not allowed to discuss what they see though to be honest, they know before the doctor sees it and puts his stamp on it. Kinda like when I used to take x-rays and someone would ask if the bone was broken, I wasn't supposed to tell even though I obviously knew. Mostly they (medical profession) feels there is potential for misinterpretation and could open a nasty can of worms. More of a CYA thing then hiding stuff from us.