zoocrewphoto wrote:LinkC wrote:I don't think having/using data is nearly as important as we'd like to think. The VAST majority of CPAP patients get relief of symptoms and good sleep without knowing their AHI from their... you know!
We are the geeks about it. But don't kid yourself. There are those out there who get the same results or better with a brick and an annual Dr visit. Any idea what percentage of OSA patients monitor their data? My doc provided an anecdotal figure at my last visit. I was shocked. What's your guess?
There are a couple reasons I disagree with you.
One, the data is VERY important if the titration isn't accurate, the person isn't feeling better, etc. How can a doctor sole the problem without data? Just trial and error, and that doesn't always work too well. If the machine doesn't even record data, then how is the doctor supposed to figure it out? At the very least, all machines should have data for the doctor.
Two, since most people get their machines without knowing anything, even if they get a machine with data, it doesn't mean that they know to ask about it.
The real questions should be -
How many people gave up after giving it an honest go, because nobody realized that their therapy was not correct?
How many people would be successful with treatment if they had been given a machine with data (and either a doctor who viewed data, or enough curiosity to find it themselves)?
How many people would be interested in the data if the knew they could see it?
I got lucky with a good machine and a good doctor. My first DME was shocked that I changed the time on the machine's clock to fix my problem of split nights. I fired them in less than 2 months, so they have no idea that I viewed the data. They probably don't know that I fired them. They never contacted me after they sent me a new card with a mailer to send the first one in. They probably think I gave up and quit. They don't care. They sold a machine and compliance passed.
My mom was not so lucky. She's one of the ones who didn't improve despite compliance. Over the years, she went up and down on compliance. Quitting for years at a time, or only doing half a night and calling it good. She also had a really lame 1 page summary of her sleep study. Nothing that really explained how serious this was or how bad this could be untreated. Her machine was so old, it had no data, and she was denied a new sleep study.
Then I got diagnosed. I came home with a fancy machine with data and a new mask, that looked really nice. She tried on my mask, and within a couple days, had her own. She was back to using her machine, but only about half the night. She was curious about my data, and happy to see me with real improvement. Once I had my 6 week followup and compliance check, we both had the same idea. Do a couple partial nights with her using MY machine. She already had her own mask and hose, so all I had to do was change the setting to her prescription, and then download the data before I took my turn. I am a severe night owl, so she was able to get 4 hours of sleep before I was ready to go to bed.
At her prescription, she had an ahi of 3.4, but she had a cluster of events over 30 seconds, and one of them was over a minute long. She made an appointment with MY sleep doctor the next day. We had to wait a couple weeks to get in, but I took the reports of 2 partial nights. Her straight 10 prescription, and one that was 10-13. He prescribed a new machine with it set 10-15. She feels better now, and she uses it every night, all night.
THAT is the difference that data made.
