What is "compliance?" -- with poll!

geoDoug · Post by **geoDoug** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:14 am

That may seem like a simple question, but there's a fundamental important issue here. What does the word "compliance" mean to you? I'm not looking for a deep philosophical answer. It's just that it's used here often, but I'm not convinced that it's used in the same way. Here are your choices:

Compliance=percent of days used. This is what shows up in encore pro's detailed report---in my case 100%.
Compliance=percent of hours/night used, as measured by Hours used/some number of "ideal hours per night"

Or is there a third meaning I'm not getting?

I've had this rattling around in my brain anyway, but what's prompted me to ask you good people is an inconsistency in encore pro: at my home page there is a bar graph of my usage of the last seven days. Above that it says, "Compliance 60%"--or some number around there.

How is encore pro calculating that 60% number? What's it comparing my usage to? I'm assuming it's some "ideal" number of hours used/night. Is there a way to edit the "ideal" hours? Because an ideal is very individualized.

This is more than just a software inconsistency issue. It's also a question of usage in this forum. What say you, oh wise ones? (See, I know when to lay it on thick )

Doug.

geoDoug · Post by **geoDoug** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:00 am

One other thing: I suppose "compliance" could mean you use the mask the whole night every night you are in bed, regardless of the number of hours.

Doug.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:27 am

My understanding is that for insurance purposes "compliance" is considered the number of nights that the CPAP is used at least 4 hrs per night.

Wulfman... · Post by **Wulfman...** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:22 am

Slinky wrote:My understanding is that for insurance purposes "compliance" is considered the number of nights that the CPAP is used at least 4 hrs per night.

From what I've been able to find, by default it's 4 hours per night and 70% of the time.......which to me is a pretty low threshold, but one that could easily be attained..

In the first two months that I started therapy, I had a total of 12 or 13 nights that I wasn't......10 for a bad cough when I couldn't keep the mask on and a couple of more that were work-related.

Over 2 years of 100% compliance.

Den

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:36 am

Encore Pro Compliance, defaults to 4 treatment hours per day. That's what INS companies consider the minimum use for compliance. Less than 4 hours and you are counted as not compliant, and wasting your time and money.

In Encore Pro, the compliance time can be set at any level you want, it's adjustable, the default is 4 hours. Compliance is measured from the first day you have data in Encore Pro, any day you miss data is counted as loss of treatment, and counted against compliance.

So if you are less than 100%, You didn't use the machine over 4 hours a day straight (continuous), or you lost data for some reason. (You had a "M"agic night, or forgot to put the card back or otherwise messed up.

If you are just willing to be compliant 4 hours a night, you only are cheating yourself. Use the machine all the time you sleep, anything else is you cheating yourself. Jim

Basically the compliance number is a way for the Bean Counters to keep score.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:48 am

it is the number of nights slept greater than 4 hours.

To be in compliance, you have to use the machine 70% of that time.

Example: if you slept 100 nights, you would have to sleep at least 70 of those nights of with an average of 4hrs to be compliant.

100% compliance is sleeping all 100 nights at least 4hrs each.

lilsheba · Post by **lilsheba** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:12 am

I don't know what insurance companies wants or the dmv as far as compliance, but I think compliance means using it every single time you sleep, for every hour you sleep, or what's the point? Barring events such as surgery or something beyond your control, it should be used every single sleeping hour.

SleepingBeauty · Post by **SleepingBeauty** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:59 am

I second what lilsheba said. 100 percent of the time I'm sleeping. That includes naps.

TXKajun · Post by **TXKajun** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:19 am

If you aren't using your machine at least 99.9% of the time you're sleeping, then you're 100% noncompliant.

Seriously, though, it seems that what insurance companies define as "compliant" is a lot like what they deem as "necessary".....way short of anything reasonably effective FOR THE PATIENT!!

Kajun

lilsheba · Post by **lilsheba** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:32 am

TXKajun wrote:If you aren't using your machine at least 99.9% of the time you're sleeping, then you're 100% noncompliant.

Seriously, though, it seems that what insurance companies define as "compliant" is a lot like what they deem as "necessary".....way short of anything reasonably effective FOR THE PATIENT!!

Kajun

Exactly. So based on what they consider compliant I'm actually OVER 100 percent compliant, not sure if it's 200 percent or what math is not a strong suit of mine

geoDoug · Post by **geoDoug** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:11 pm

Thanks for the replies so far. I forgot to even think about the fact that the insurance company would have a threshold of some kind--regardless of how arbitrary it may be. Almost every reply so far has fallen into two categories: either what insurance companies want to see or what I as a user personally feel ("as long as you're in bed" etc.). In other words, there isn't a consensus here when people say they're 100% compliant.

Doug.

SleepGuy · Post by **SleepGuy** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:10 pm

I think there's a difference between compliance and how much sleep a person actually gets. As long as you're using your equipment whenever you sleep, you're 100% compliant. If you're not getting sleep for whatever reason, that's a different issue but not a compliance problem.

SG

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:46 pm

When I say I'm 100% compliant, I mean I wear the mask and use the machine every time I sleep for the whole time I sleep.

Brenda

OkiDoki · Post by **OkiDoki** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:46 pm

An average of 4 hours per night 7 days per week= compliance

j.a.taylor · Post by **j.a.taylor** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:16 pm

For me, compliance means that I'm using the CPAP whenever I sleep.

I know that exceeds the clinical standard, but because I'm committed to my own care, that means that I want to make sure I'm sleeping as well as I can.

What makes me mad, is the fact that much of the health care system doesn't care if I sleep as well as I can. Their only concern is checking a box marking me as compliant.

What is "compliance?" -- with poll!

What is compliance???

What is "compliance?" -- with poll!

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