will dme find out if i turn on alarm

bank4cat · Post by **bank4cat** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:23 pm

dme put smartcard in my remstar pro 2 and i am going to take it in next week to have them read it. if i set my alarm myself and turn it off before taking it in to have them read it will they notice that i jacked with it... this is there machine and card so i dont wont to screw this up. im going to order encore software and reader is there and thing else i need to do my own treatment..... as in everywhere else i am dealing with people that just plain SUCK, i am afraid of them i know everyone understands

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:29 pm

In a word....NOPE!
If you're only taking in your card, they don't record anything like that.

They probably don't even remember how they set it up to begin with.

Is this machine a "rent to buy"? If so, when will it be YOURS?

Den

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:08 am

What Wulfman said, most don't know what the real data means much less if you made a settings change.

I'd be afraid of taking the SmartCard in, they'd probably screw it up so they could charge you for another card.

I think you should take control over your own therapy. My experience is DME's and doctors know the least about machines and OSA.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:42 am

I don't have a Remstar but instead have a ResMed. I got the software and noticed that it does download the machine's settings when you bring the data over to the PC.

Nevertheless, I agree with Snoredog and Wulfman that everyone should take as much conntrol of their treatment as possible. I did not mention it in previous post(s) but when I went to my follow-up visit with my sleep doc a couple of weeks ago, he was totally unaware of the auto algorithim differences between the ResMed and Respironics APAPs. Although he did know about the differences between the c-flex and EPR features, he seemed to think that all APAPs otherwise worked the same way. Now I cannot say that I know more about apnea or its overall treatment than my sleep doc, but I think I know as much and quite likely more about the use of PAP equipment for optimum compliance than he does ... thanks to the education I have received so far from the great people of this forum.

As for the DME, mine are very nice people and not nearly as difficult to work with as others here have described but as stated above ... this forum provides at least an order of magnitude more information than the DMEs appear to be capable of.

In summary, do take control of your treatment. If you are concerned about the DME discovering that you have taken control or changed the settings on the machine, simply write down the inital settings ... then set them back to original settings before downloading data to your card or taking the machine back. It may be a little more hassel but you will become more proficient at changing the settings of the machine when you get your own ... and it builds confidence.

- roberto

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:22 pm

DreamStalker wrote:(snip)

...but when I went to my follow-up visit with my sleep doc a couple of weeks ago, he was totally unaware of the auto algorithim differences between the ResMed and Respironics APAPs. Although he did know about the differences between the c-flex and EPR features, he seemed to think that all APAPs otherwise worked the same way. Now I cannot say that I know more about apnea or its overall treatment than my sleep doc, but I think I know as much and quite likely more about the use of PAP equipment for optimum compliance than he does ... thanks to the education I have received so far from the great people of this forum.

As for the DME, mine are very nice people and not nearly as difficult to work with as others here have described but as stated above ... this forum provides at least an order of magnitude more information than the DMEs appear to be capable of.

- roberto

Roberto, you are so right about this forum! And, you have now helped to educate your doc.

Further, my DME provider has really nice and helpful folks, too. There ARE some good ones. A few of them even post on this forum!

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:44 pm

The only settings Apria seemed to be concerned about are the ones that might hurt us. You know, the IPAP was titrated at 6 and they find an 18 in the machine. But even then, if you have a history on Encore Pro to support your 18 it appears they will accept your numbers.

When I changed my numbers, I emailed their head tech and told him exactly what I had done. He said fine, thanks for the heads up. Something I really like about my pulmonolgist is that he will take my word for the numbers. I have given him no reason not to, but he changed my numbers based on a phone conversationl. I wonder if he sends Apria a prescription, covering the change in numbers???

Interestingly enough, our sleep lab sends the data out to be analyzed and the titration set. No wonder their tech took exception to our using EncorePro, he may not even know what it is or what it does.

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:36 am

People, OSA is a self-treatable illness. It is the stupid insurace companies,
Respironics and ResMed that think otherwise. As long as insurance companies like to pay out $3000.00 for a $700.00 machine, some of you are stuck with a DME.

As soon as a large company, like Teleflex, decides to lobby for self-treatment options, we will be free. In the meantime, we have cpap dot com.

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:17 pm

Old Gadgethead, from your fingers to God's e-mail.

Maybe then, with enough competition, we will actually get some really cutting edge design.

Birdieshells

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:29 pm

Historically, even the insulin giants, like Eli Lilly, could not stop the self-treatment of diabetes.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:32 pm

What we need to be lobbying for is a way to have both.
We need traditional DME companies.
We also need internet retailers who can offer the products at a lower cost for those who are able to use them.

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:41 pm

I agree that we need both.

It seems that form follows function somewhat. However, competition brings about more efficient and effective design, IMHO.

bank4cat · Post by **bank4cat** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:58 pm

took my machine in so they could read smart card and guess what just like someone said they probably dont even know how to read it right on........i guess they pput the wrong serial number in and it wasnt recording anything so this is what i was told, she went into the secret room and came out 5 miniutes later and said come back in in a month and we will down load.....ok this is it im bustin the credit card out and getting software and reader, i have been fighting for months to see if i need pressure turned up i feel like shi- amd im done with these dodoes

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:53 pm

And we thought the dodo birds were extinct....

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:19 pm

Anonymous wrote:What we need to be lobbying for is a way to have both.
We need traditional DME companies.
We also need internet retailers who can offer the products at a lower cost for those who are able to use them.

Unless I misunderstand the point you're trying to make, I believe it's quite clear we already HAVE BOTH at the present time. (Does CPAP.COM ring a bell?)
I believe the pressure needs to be applied to the insurance companies to accept and reimburse for Internet purchases.....although many presently do. There's also BILLMYINSURANCE.COM and CPAPFORSENIORS.COM.

bank4cat,

I'm sorry you had to find out the hard way.....we keep trying to warn users.....
This is why so many of us got the software right off the bat, so we could just print out a report to show our doctors (and/or DMEs) that we're compliant. The reports can either be e-mailed, mailed or faxed.....which saves time and money.

Best wishes,

Den

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:43 am

Wulfman wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What we need to be lobbying for is a way to have both.
We need traditional DME companies.
We also need internet retailers who can offer the products at a lower cost for those who are able to use them.
Unless I misunderstand the point you're trying to make, I believe it's quite clear we already HAVE BOTH at the present time. (Does CPAP.COM ring a bell?)
I believe the pressure needs to be applied to the insurance companies to accept and reimburse for Internet purchases.....although many presently do. There's also BILLMYINSURANCE.COM and CPAPFORSENIORS.COM.

Gosh no. I've never heard of such a place! Come off it and quit being a jerk.
You mentioned billmyinsurance and cpapforseniors. That's exactly the point I've been trying to make. Using those companies saves NO money. They bill the EXACT SAME RATE that the DME companies bill.
So there is no savings there.
What I and many others have been fighting for is the ability to have more than just the 1 rate. We need BOTH sources available.
The traditional DME company available at a higher cost for those who are unable or unwilling to look after themselves and thier equipment and internet suppliers (or other direct-purchase suppliers) for those who wish to provide thier own care at a reduced charge.

will dme find out if i turn on alarm

will dme find out if i turn on alarm

AMEN!

Both

Extinct

Mask

Additional Comments: BLOWER speed 9 c-flex on, 2 liter 02 added