Furious with Sleep Clinic

It has been 6 weeks since my titration study and I called the clinic today to find out what was going on. They told me that due to vacations they are 8 weeks behind on scoring titration studies and mine still has not been scored. They only have 1 regular Dr in the clinic and 1 that comes in 1 a month. The regular Dr is on vacation right now, will be back on Sept 9 and 10 and then will be on vacation again for a month. If my study isn't scored by Sept 9 then I won't get a prescription for a machine until November. This is absolutely ridiculous!!!!!!! I understand that people need vacation, but I feel that there is a total disregard for the health of the patient being demonstrated here. I tried calling the Director of Diagnostic Services......but guess what?? She is on vacation too!!! She'll be back on Tuesday and I will be going to see her to make a formal complaint.

In the mean time I am going to call my GP and ask him if he can write a prescription for a fully data capable APAP machine for me. I am just wondering what pressure I should ask him to put on the prescription? Since the machine is going to do the titrating should it be set at 4-20 to start and then I can change it once I have data indicating what it should be?

good for you! Gotta stick up for ourselves. that is atrocious! Sorry I cant help you with the prescription settings but it sounds like you have the right idea. more experienced members can help you with that. dont forget to have him write "mask of patients choice" on the prescription. Good luck!

We are probably in for that same type of care here in the US soon. Did you have options for where you could have gone for the study? I am guessing they didn't tell you up front that you would get results for months.
Good luck with your Dr.

Just a guess, but the clinic may have ties to a DME (may even be in the same building),
and they are stretching it out to make you good and desperate,
so you will accept any POS machine they want to sell you.
Good for you for not sitting still for this ABUSE!

As an attorney I advise people to carefully decide how angry they are. If you are truly irate and desire revenge then you do the following:
write a very nice letter describing your problem
Send it to the following people with a copy of each letter to the clinic even though the letters re identical.
to the state medical licensing board as a complaint against the Doctor.
To the state medical licensing board as a complaint against the clinic
to the local BBB
to the national BBB
to the local chamber of commerce
if you had a referral from a physician to him
The following people will do nothing but it will force them to write a reply:
the local chapter of the AMA
to the national AMA
to the attorney general of your state consumer protection division

Your letter must state that no one informed you of the meager staffing of the sleep center.
Nothing will be done to help you but next time they will inform the patient of potential delays in grading.

Then write a letter to them informing them that your health may suffer as a result of the delays and ask them to inform their malpractice carrier of a possible claim. Send the original to the Doctor and a copy to the clinic and send it certified mail with a return receipt required.
Good Luck
P.S. All these names and addressesses (sp? i know it is wrong but spell check will not suggest a correct spelling) can be achieved with one call to your library. If they are like mine they will be glad to help.

LIKE!

lastlib, original poster lives in Canada. do you have different advice in that case? thanks for your ideas though if any of us Americans run into this!

If you were in the U.S.

[quote="elessadil"]It has been 6 weeks since my titration study and I called the clinic today to find out what was going on. Sorry, the clinic is not authorized to deal with you.

In the mean time I am going to call my GP and ask him if he can write a prescription for a fully data capable APAP machine for me. I am just wondering what pressure I should ask him to put on the prescription? Sorry, the Doc does not suppose to give you an Rx without checking results of the titration study.[quote]

Even if you were an attorney you'll be wasting your time contacting those authorities.

Depending on your diagnosed AHI, and the expected delay,
your PSP may still be able to prescribe an Auto, set from 4-20 (default)
Avi is not a doctor, nor does he play one on TV.

LIKE

LIKE!

Loreena wrote:LIKE!

What does this mean, in this context?

Avi has an "offbeat" sense of humor, and his opinions sometimes elicit affectionate abuse.
I suppose my quip was seconded.

The clinic is in a hospital as are most of them are here in Ontario. They have no connections to any DMEs. We, as patients, can choose to go to any DME we want. OHIP will pay 75% of the cost of the machine provided that you go to one that is registered with them and most of them are. OHIP sets the prices of the machines and a DME can't charge more than that, but they can charge less. The prices are ridiculous however. The cost of a Resmed S9 Autoset with humidifier and regular hose is $2,284. I can buy the same machine, with a climate line hose, online from a supplier that ships to Canada for $883 US. That is a huge difference. OHIP won't pay 75% of that, but my insurance will probably pay 80%. What a ripoff!!!!!!!!

To the Canadians:

To the poster who informed nothing good would happen. You are right but if you create enough trouble they will inform the next patient who faces a long delay about that delay and that person can make a truly informed decision about where to go for a sleep study.
I think Canada has a national medical service. To the list al.ready posted I would write the service, and the head of the service by name, asking if consent needed to be informed consent and should I have been informed of the delay.

The whole point of this exercise is revenge by making the clinic reply and helping the next person. By putting them on notice of your fear of harm from their delay you will make them nervous about malpractice in the U.S. I do not know about Canada.