new thread on industry structure

[dsm]

The legislating DMEs to monitor initial results would be something positive. But, I'll bet they would (along with insurance industry) come up with justification for even higher charges

Re citizen drivers being under threat of losing their driving liceses, I have to agree completely with RestedGal & Rooster.

I am certain that having OSA would rapidly become a significant stigma, certainly far greater than we think of today.

DSM

[OldLincoln]

I have a gentle disagreement regarding DME responsibility. I see their role as providing proper equipment and fit, maintenance and routine supplies. I guess more of a lab metaphor than OSA professional. I see monitoring usage and results as the physicians role. They are the ones who prescribe and should be responsible for maintenance of progress reports, etc. That's why I take my reports to my doc when I see him every few months. My doc is treating me for a sleep disorder, not just OSA and his goal for my treatment is ongoing refreshing sleep.

[sleepguide]

Perhaps, but someone needs to "own" responsibility for Compliance with a capital "C," not just this blower being on for 4 hours stuff. The problem is that it's slipping through the cracks now between DME, MD, RT, etc.

[Slinky]

Giggle. Ya, OldLincoln, in an ideal world! The sleep doctors in this country for the most part haven't got the slightest interest beyond Dx'ing and scripting. Sleep medicine is the latest "cash cow". Take it on as a subspecialty that doesn't require much time w/the patient, nor even consultation w/the patient at all. Glance thru a scored data report from the RPSGT, dictate an interpretation and pressure setting(s) and no need to bother again, let the DME's handle it. IF the DME's RT "thinks" the patient might need a pressure change, a big show of asking for the data to support the recommendation, MAYBE, or just script the recommendation from the RT and be done w/it again.

[Hawthorne]

I live in Ontario Canada and hold a driver's license for this Province. I've had this license for some 49 years now. When I was diagnsed with OSA, 6 years ago, I was told by the Sleep Specialist who ordered and interpreted the sleep study, that he was required, by Provincial law, to report to the Dept of Motor Vehicles that I had been diagnosed.

He did check compliance only (that's all the machine I had at that time would report) after one month and gave me a copy of the letter he sent to the DMV, stating that I had OSA and that, in his opinion, I was fine to drive because I was receiving proper treatment. My driver's license was not put "on hold" or anything like that during that first month. I did not have a job that required extensive driving.

Each Province in Canada would have different legislation regarding this.

[Driver59]

Rooster,
You are right about drivers not being tested for osa if they thought their driving priviledges might be suspended.
I am a truck driver and one of the guys I work with is sure as am I that he has osa. He won't be tested because his
insurance agent told him " you don't want that on your medical record". I am trying to find him an xpap machine to
try for a few days, because he said if it helped he would buy one outright, but won't go to a doctor. Now add the chance
that his liscence might be temporarily suspended, and you practically gaurantee a driver on the road who drinks 5 or 6
energy drinks a day to stay awake. A cdl is more than just a liscence to drive a truck, it's a liscence to make a living.
For some of us it's the only way we know. That doesn't mean I agree with driving while sleep deprived. I did it for
years, because I didn't know what was wrong with me. Now I encourage everyone I talk to that have the same simptoms
that I had to please go get tested.
Don