Sleep Apnea Paid Group discussion Los Angeles

Seeking ages 35-65 who have been formally diagnosed and are currently suffering from SLEEP APNEA.
PAYS $100 for a 90-minute small group discussion in Westwood August 24, 25 or 26.

Please respond with the following info:
First name, Last name
Age:
What type of Sleep Apnea were you diagnosed with
When you were diagnosed
Your AHI score at your last sleep test
Measures currently used and formerly used to cope with your sleep apnea

This strikes me as spam (not allowed on this forum) for a 'focus' group to comment on some form of Cpap or related equipment and so while I didn't delete the note, I'd be really wary (I know the $$ is tempting!) about what and where your opinions will be routed to. (The top of the note even says they're a consumer group, not a medical one).

This sounds like a manufacturer trying to find out about usability issues.
As such, if you can participate, it will be an interesting experience. And they are paying
I did one a long time ago relating to usability of word processing software. Never did find out how the client was but the experience was interesting.

I'm a little wary of this, too. More information would be helpful. It sounds interesting, but $100 wouldn't pay my airfare from the Midwest. Besides I'm over 65 so I wouldn't qualify anyway.

I participated in a discussion group, supposedly a step toward locating/building a community center.
About an hour in, it was obvious the "moderators" and "facilitators" had come in with a predetermined outcome.

I do phone surveys all the time and focus groups sometimes, this is just a typical focus group and nothing to be scared of...

This is a legitimate Paid Market Research Group discussion. We want to talk to individuals who have been diagnosed with OSA for over 6 months. You will be paid $100 for opinions and 90-minutes of your time. This study will take place at Schlesinger Associates' Los Angeles location.

We are looking for men/women who are currently using a prescribed mouthpiece made specifically for OSA treatment or a prescribed PAP machine/oxygen device made specifically for OSA treatment or who have used and don't use a prescribed PAP or mouthpiece anymore.

Marketing research revolves around gathering the opinions of individuals that either use or do not use certain products and services to gain insights into consumer trends. Each group holds has specific profile requirements to ensure that we gather the very best information possible for our industry clients. Our industry clients pass this on to you by improving their products, services, and brand imaging!

ConsumerViewpoint on Facebook

Alissa at Consumer Viewpoint wrote:This is a legitimate Paid Market Research Group discussion. We want to talk to individuals who have been diagnosed with OSA for over 6 months. You will be paid $100 for opinions and 90-minutes of your time. This study will take place at Schlesinger Associates' Los Angeles location.

We are looking for men/women who are currently using a prescribed mouthpiece made specifically for OSA treatment or a prescribed PAP machine/oxygen device made specifically for OSA treatment or who have used and don't use a prescribed PAP or mouthpiece anymore.

Marketing research revolves around gathering the opinions of individuals that either use or do not use certain products and services to gain insights into consumer trends. Each group holds has specific profile requirements to ensure that we gather the very best information possible for our industry clients. Our industry clients pass this on to you by improving their products, services, and brand imaging!

ConsumerViewpoint on Facebook

Apart from the fact that I strongly disagree that people should be allowed to post commercial information like this on an end-user self-help forum for medical issues I am astounded that the forum managers allow non-account posting to the forum. That is, you don't have to have a registered account to post to the forum — I don't know about other people, and some may say I am overreacting, but I really don't think that people should be allowed to post to this forum without registering, with a validated email address, first. Then we would not have to put up with objectionable stuff like this.

As a protest, even though I am a registered user of the forum, I am posting this not using my account — because the forum allows posts without accounts.

As for you 'Alissa'...

Alissa at Consumer Viewpoint wrote:This is a legitimate Paid Market Research Group discussion.

Ohhhhh, you're legitimate are you — in whose eyes? Just because you are 'legitimate' does that give you the right to do objectionable things. Just because a person may be a 'legitimate' police officer does that give them the right (they may have the power, but power and right are two different things) to shoot someone?

Alissa at Consumer Viewpoint wrote:You will be paid $100 for opinions and 90-minutes of your time.

That's it, dangle money in front of people. There will always be people in unfortunate circumstances who need income. Who is bankrolling you?

Alissa at Consumer Viewpoint wrote:Marketing research revolves around gathering the opinions of individuals that either use or do not use certain products and services to gain insights into consumer trends.

"Consumer trends" Don't make me laugh. Look around you 'Alissa' — when one sees forum postings with pleas for help like this, "Newbie doesn't describe how much I dont know! Please help me", or words like "struggling", the reality is that most of the people on this forum are not interested in "consumer trends" — they would much rather not even be a consumer of this 'product', OSA. The "consumer" things they are interested in is the manufacturers improving their products so we, the "consumers", can have better lives as OSA sufferers. They are interested in finding medical professionals who really care about them as people who are living with a condition for the rest of their lives — not (just) that they care about making a buck off of them. If all health care providers were decent we wouldn't see forum topics like this "Firing My Primary Care Physician Today".

Alissa at Consumer Viewpoint wrote:Our industry clients pass this on to you by improving their products, services, and brand imaging!

Translation = "Our industry clients pass this on to you by increasing their prices, or by looking for ways to maximise their profits by reducing their costs — of looking after your medical condition."

'Alissa' you make me sick, and I'm sick enough already, go away.

J'accuse
Also Posted As:
(FromOZ)

You wrote the most stupid post I have seen in here in 2014.

You also unwittingly revealed your user name.

Please ignore him Alissa at Consumer Viewpoint. He's a newbie that has control issues.

The focus groups of marketing research firms are this era's version of the person holding a clipboard hawking shoppers at the mall entrance. The difference is now these companies are more sophisticated and structured and efficient in the gathering of consumer opinion, and it has become big business for the research companies providing the service, as well as to a lesser degree for the consumers whose opinion now has a monetary value. Having worked at a reputable and ethical non profit that on occasion utilized focus groups to assess the viability of our programs and procedures, I can see their value. Our organization was not equipped or staffed to pull off such an endeavor, and these firms have the means and methods to do so efficiently. Even legitimate and ethical research companies cannot be responsible for the intent of those who hire them. They simply gather information. They are the middle man. That's not saying all are ethical and not in cahoots with those who hire them, but in my non-paid-for opinion, that's the exception not the rule. On the flip side of this, I have utilized these opportunities to help me in my own financial struggles, so it would be hypocritical of me to criticize. If I am deemed eligible and can manage transportation to this one, I will try to earn an honest $100 and be grateful for the chance to do so. That will cover my meds for the month. That said, I too am disgruntled about prolific flagrant misuse and deception under the guise of legitimate research. I just don't feel the average research facility deserves to be the target of my wrath.

Dear all — yes the delivery and tone of the message in my post was harsh and personal. I apologise for that. It's surprising what you can say when you wake up after a bad night on the machine.

The delivery of the message detracted from the content of the message — which also was a shame.

I still maintain that this forum, especially given that it is a self-help forum for people dealing with personal medical challenges, should not allow posts from people without accounts.

I also hold to the position that this forum should not be used for commercial purposes and, sorry, but I still find it inappropriate for commercial interests to be hawking for people. But, again, that is my personal opinion, anybody of course is free to disagree.

Again, I apologise for the tone of the post.

FromOZ wrote: I still maintain that this forum, especially given that it is a self-help forum for people dealing with personal medical challenges, should not allow posts from people without accounts.

oh, it's you, fuzzyface... ironc that you posted as a guest, a rant against guests.

I do agree that guest posting should be disabled, it buys us nothing of value.

palerider wrote:I do agree that guest posting should be disabled,

If you don't like the rules here you can go to one of the many other apnea forums that don't allow the things you don't like.
Remember - you agreed to the User Agreement.

I still maintain that this forum, especially given that it is a self-help forum for people dealing with personal medical challenges, should not allow posts from people without accounts.

Disagree. Many people who were reluctant to register here, posted and got the answer they sought. Many others were impressed and eventually became good, contributing members.