DME Called and needs my Card

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:28 am

My DME called today and needs me to send them my card out of my REMstar Auto. I have been downloading data daily from it. Will they be able to get my compliance data off of it??

-Marc

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:39 am

cybergoon,

They should be able to, providing you haven't erased the card.

Den

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:42 am

I haven't intentionally erased it. I always click on the same patient will be using this card button when I download, so I assume that it stores it.

-Marc

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:48 am

If you are downloading the data yourself and tracking your progress, why send it to the DME?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:50 am

cybergoon,

I imagine it'll be fine. If not, they'll let you know.
On the other hand, the last page of the Encore Pro report contains a summary of the compliance data. You could take/send a copy of your current one along with the card to see if it concurs with their reading. If you don't want your card erased, you might warn them about that, too......they just might accidentally do it to ya.

Good luck,

Den

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:53 am

If you are downloading the data yourself and tracking your progress, why send it to the DME?

Guest,

It could be a requirement of his insurance provider through the DME.....???

Den

biggziff · Post by **biggziff** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:13 am

cybergoon wrote:I haven't intentionally erased it. I always click on the same patient will be using this card button when I download, so I assume that it stores it.

-Marc

Unless you ran the reg entry to not delete the data and answered "no" to the prompt to erase all data each time you have downloaded, the card will be empty.

biggziff · Post by **biggziff** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:14 am

[quote="Anonymous"]If you are downloading the data yourself and tracking your progress, why send it to the DME?

tlc95066 · Post by **tlc95066** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:26 pm

Hi Cybergoon
How about downloading all the data that you currently have on a cd and giving the DME that plus the smart card. That might help eliminate any questions if you are using your APAP. Maybe the more data the better Just a thought.
Best,
Teri

Roger... · Post by **Roger...** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:34 pm

When I read the post the initial question that surfaced is what is he going to use while they waltz around with his card. For certain there is no recording without the data card, so unless you stay awake while the card is on vacation you'll be loosing important information.

Why not just export your "patient information" so they can upload it there. This keeps you in the recording business and it gives them the data.

More than likely 99% of the people they are dealing with don't record their information so they just ask for the cards to keep it simple.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:55 pm

Roger,
He should have two cards. You get one with the Encore Pro software, and one with the APAP. He can just start using the other one.

But cybergoon, as biggziff said, if you haven't run the special regedit thing, it actually has been erasing your card after every download.

Here's how you do it so it doesn't happen next time:
Go to:

C:\Program Files\Respironics\Encore Pro\Utilities. Look for a file called "Don't erase data after download.reg". Double click this. It'll ask if you really want to do this. Click "yes." Then, every time you download your data, a prompt will come up asking if you want to erase, and you can click no.

For this instance, however, I would do what other posters have suggested and just print out the data you've already downloaded. Good luck.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:17 pm

Marc,

Do what Roger says... Export you data for the whole period in which you've used the machine. Send a copy of it along with the card. If they find no data on the card, you will have proof of compliance shown in the data. Mybe, if they are a good DME, they might actually look at the performance data and give you some feedback on how your therapy is going. I would not be concerned about the card police finding no data on the card.

Roger... · Post by **Roger...** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:40 pm

Hello CollegeGirl,
From what you've said, if MARC has been downloading he data all along, sending his card in won't be of much help anyway, unless he ran this Registry Changing utility at the beginning of his machine use.

I didn't know, or at least remember, this was necessary as I've been too engrossed in trying to understand the factors that are impacting my results. So, if Marc's data has already been erased and he only sends the card, the DME will be wondering if he is even using the machine unless he sends the database.

Hmmm, it will be interesting to see how this story end.

Thanks for the heads-up on the utility.

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:36 am

My DME is requesting the card for compliance data. They said that they will send the card to my insurance company. I did not run that Registry edit to tell it not to delete the data.

I will export patient and burn it to a CD for them and include it with the card. My question is, will they give me a replacement card?? I also have the one that came with the Encore Pro software also, but it is nice to have 2 on hand in case one craps out.

I will be taking the card and CD to my DME on monday and explain the situation to them. When I told my DME that I had been downloading data, he says "huh? what for??". I just laughed at him. I don't think he even knew you could do that.

-Marc

biggziff · Post by **biggziff** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:18 am

I would specifically ask them to provide you with another card. Just ask them how they intend to track compliance without the card in the machine?