ResScan 3.7, card reader and reports

Hi All,

I received my ResMed Card Reader and ResScan 3.7 Software today and installed it. I also used the card reader to read my data and used the software to view my reports. I love it all. I know much more detail about my treatment is just a few short moments.

The istallation of the Software and card reader device driver went quickly and without a hitch on my Windows XP Professional Dell laptop computer. The programs run quickly (in a flash) and the software is easy to use. Ease of use is important to me because I am a computer dummy. I printed out my report that includes my Patient Profile information (including my photo), my statistics from 1/27/2009 - 2/5/2009, summary graphs of my pressure, leak, AHI & HI and usage and detailed daily graphs.

At once it became obvious that my lower limit pressure setting of 6 cm H2O is too low since my median pressure is about 10.0. I also changed my settings using the software and data card so I will see if those settings are loaded into my generator tonight when I plug the card into the generator. If so, making settings changes just got a whole lot easier if I do not have to go thru the menus on the LED screen on the generator. I am also looking forward to seeing how my numbers are once I increase my lower limit pressure. I will try 10 cm H2O first.

With my brief (10 minutes or so) experience with the ResScan software and card reader, I highly recommend them to anyone interested in getting a better understanding of their treatment and taken better control of it.

Thanks to all of you who recommended that I purchase it all. It was money well spent.

"Ain't" it fun having this new toy that we "aren't supposed to have" and to be able to better see and understand your therapy results??? I don't know which I enjoy more, having something "they" don't want us to have or being able to better analyze my therapy and results. Actually, it was easier to get the "forbidden fruit", er, software that it is to fully understand the data and what changes it might indicate. So THERE, FDA and those "sleep doctors" who try to keep it unavailable to us.

Slinky wrote:"Ain't" it fun having this new toy that we "aren't supposed to have" and to be able to better see and understand your therapy results??? I don't know which I enjoy more, having something "they" don't want us to have or being able to better analyze my therapy and results. Actually, it was easier to get the "forbidden fruit", er, software that it is to fully understand the data and what changes it might indicate. So THERE, FDA and those "sleep doctors" who try to keep it unavailable to us.

It is certainly nice to have it but I think for me it is having the data presented to me to aid my understanding of what is going on with me and my OSA treatment on a daily basis. Just the recent change from CPAP to APAP has made a big difference for me. My AIs since using the APAP are around 0.2, my nightly use is about 8 hours and even my leak rate is below 0.2 L/s and last night it was 0.08 L/s. I feel better and now I can understand using the data and reports why. I also can better manage my treatment and I expect I will get better at it the more I use the data on a regular basis.

By the way, the ResScan License does not say that it is only to be used by "them" so as far as I can see, anyone who gets it can use it.

I find it relatively easy to navigate the LCD screens on my machine... and that way I am sure what the settings are as I can view them on the machine itself.

The software is helpful to get your settings dialed in. Now I find I simply read the LCD in the morning for Leak, AI & HI and leave it at that unless there is something I need to investigate further... such as the therapy going haywire for several nights.

Paul56 wrote:I find it relatively easy to navigate the LCD screens on my machine... and that way I am sure what the settings are as I can view them on the machine itself.

The software is helpful to get your settings dialed in. Now I find I simply read the LCD in the morning for Leak, AI & HI and leave it at that unless there is something I need to investigate further... such as the therapy going haywire for several nights.

The LED screens and the menus are easy to use, read and change settings, if needed. However, seeing what happened all thru the night is also useful especially for someone like me who has never been able to see that detail. I also like knowing my median leak and pressure and the LED only gives you the 95 percentile which is pretty useless when you can look at the detail and medians. I also have kept a detailed written record of all my numbers since I started treatment so I can look at how I am doing compared to other nights and I find the new data available to me is more useful. But, I guess to each his own. It just makes me feel better knowing I can review the details.

LIke Slinky, I enjoy the ability to have the forbidden fruit............in reality, I find the software a major reinforcement for using the machine. I think the software should be package with the machine for those who wish to have it!!!!! I used to work at a famous medical institution......we were told not to ever walk across the street if the "don't walk" sign was on. We were told this was to prevent patients from following up into the street. I frequently said, our patients may be sick, worried or distraught, but they are not stupid!!!!! Having the software available shares the believe in the intelligence of the patient...and reinforces the believed to be elusive art of compliance! My only ich about the software, is it was a challenge to download to a laptop with Vista Home 32 bite!

elg5cats wrote:I think the software should be package with the machine for those who wish to have it!!!!!

Then all those who aren't interested in it (which is in fact most xPAP users) will complain they are paying (one way or another) for something that's of no use to them!

elg5cats wrote:Having the software available shares the believe in the intelligence of the patient...and reinforces the believed to be elusive art of compliance!!

The mere ready availability of end user self monitoring software has no demonstrable impact on xPAP compliance as far as I'm aware.

This aligns with my conversations with members of Sleep Disorders Australia (who could be expected to be at the higher end of the overall community range in terms of awareness of xPAP issues in general)..... I have only come across a handful that are interested in monitoring their data capable xPAP machine (whatever brand it is) with software, even after they have had it demonstrated to them. I asked Resmed about their experience with take up and they told me that in Australia, where AutoScan and ResScan has always been readily available to anyone, only a small fraction of end-users with data capable Resmed flow generatrors have ever bothered to purchase it.

For those that are interested, the self monitoring software should be available, but its not going to change anything for users who are simply not interested in it.

Cheers,

Bill

I have to agree w/BillBolton, unfortunately, the majority of xPAP users have no interest in the data. They rely completely on the sleep profession and either the therapy works or it doesn't - and if it doesn't the CPAP goes in the closet or a rummage sale or whatever, but it doesn't get used.

I do wish that Resmed would wise up as Respironics has done and provide a patient version of their professional software. Since North America is their largest market one would think it would be worth their while to do so despite the majority of users don't have any interest. On the other hand its understandable that they don't bother given the rest of the world has no restrictions on the "professional" software sale to users.

Hi--I looked into getting the card reader and software. The card reader is about $69.00 which is not too bad---but why does the dang software cost so much? ResScan Version 3.7 Software --is about $200.00 bucks on CPAP.com----that is kind of expensive I think for some software that cannot be used for anything else other than CPAP. Did anyone find a cheaper place to obtain the software?

Carrie