CPAP modems and remote changes to your settings without your knowledge

[kiwii]

I'm wondering something else. What kind of trouble can you get into if something happens and your data is gone?

That's why, IMO, a backup of your data in SleepyHead is a good idea.

[SarcasticDave94]

I'm wondering something else. What kind of trouble can you get into if something happens and your data is gone?

If you use insurance to cover your supplies, you won't have proof of compliance. If you don't own your machine, they can ask you to return it. You get cut off.

Just an IMO: maybe it's passable, but barely, to grant the DME and doc the access they need for the compliance time window, then shut the door on them. Compliance means the insurance pays, and non-compliance means return the CPAP or pay out of pocket.

[DreamBreather]

To get his thread back on-topic...

Just wondering, for those of you who have insurance and have gotten a CPAP machine recently... does your machine have a modem that is used by the DME or sleep doctor?

Four years ago when this thread started, RobySue pointed out the scary trend of using modems.  We all pontificated on whether they would become the defacto method for proving compliance.

I'm left wondering if most DMEs or docs are proving compliance via a modem these days, rather than a SD card or other means?

Yes, used by the DME as far as I know...  They called 'and could tell by looking at things on their end, that all was well'.... I informed them that yes, in fact all is well and that I changed my settings....   She said  "There's no problem with that... everything looks good, and you seem to be doing well.  How do you feel?"  

[JesseLee]

I asked my new DME about using Sleepyhead to generate compliance reports and turning those reports in after i got nailed for noncompliance. They will not accept the report. So, in my case, to get off of "probation" I'm going to have to hand carry my sd card to them and they use their software to pull the data and generate their own report with their letterhead and my compliance information. It's my understanding that this is a one time deal, and after i get my sd card to them they will look at my compliance remotely through the modem.

[kiwii]

Ah. I didn't word my reply very well. I meant that you'd have a backup of the information on your SD card. Now that I think about it though, I'm actually making a copy of the SD card contents at the same time that I'm importing to SleepyHead. So that is me making a backup, not SleepyHead.

[Sleeprider]

My advise to someone that is delivered a machine that locks them out of the settings, would be to go ahead and reset the machine to factory settings right away, set the PIN and track compliance from there. Most compliance is demonstrated simply by using the machine for 21 of 30 days within the first 90 days of use. Pretty easy to meet that requirement, even if you reset the machine with a week or so of data.

I agree that this violates patient rights by removing your choice from any settings or procedures that a third party can make. In nearly all medicine, you have the right to decline a procedure or change in care. This is a pretty ugly change for the worse.

Another change with Philips firmware version 1.1.4 is a change in the way data is written to the SD card. For the most part, users can still access their data using Sleepyhead, but the data has changed from an older 8-bit hexadecimal to a 32 bit system that may produce some errors in Sleepyhead. Mark found this on member JJJ's Dreamstation within the last few days, and it mirrors changes seen in the Auto SV Advance were were working to integrate. The fix now involves writing code that searches the machine data headers for the machine name, type AND firmware version so the proper decoding is activated in the program. As Mark put it, not very nice of Philips. The additional bit space in the new firmware code will make future machines harder to decipher.

[dmeRT]

I was unaware of any PIN option on the dreamstations. thanks for that knowledge.

FYI:
V1.1.2 -- has PIN option
V1.1.5 -- has PIN option

[SleeplessinPgh]

My 2 year old DreamStation Auto has V.1.0.4 and, as far as I can tell, does not have the option for setting a PIN.  I removed the modem one year ago, after passing the 13-month mark (which means I own it).  If I had left it in, would it have downloaded updated software and added the PIN option?  If so, am I missing anything important by having older software?  I like the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[SarcasticDave94]

Agreed on the sentiment you ended with. Don't "fix" yours. IMO of course.

[Walla Walla]

Not to be a Doubting Dave or being a conspiracy theory creator, are you sure that declining the TOS (you're meaning terms of service, right?) that taking that action would block them from access. It would block you from MyAir I think, but I am not certain it deletes the account. Again, not to doubt, but did something signify that what you expected did actually occur?

That is what they told me, that my account has been completely deleted.

I even wrote back to them to ask that my personal information be removed as well, because I did not want it to be shared (and I wasn't sure if asking for my account deletion had been enough to prevent any sharing). This was their response:

Once your account is deleted, all your your personal information gets deleted as well.

Edit for clarity: I had asked that my account be canceled. This resulted in a deletion of my account and all of my personal information.

This was their original response:

We have processed your request to delete your account and any stored myAir data. This will not affect the data stored on your machine’s SD card which is available to your health care or home medical equipment provider.

I'm sure all your info was deleted from your My Air account. The problem is the DME's use Air View which gives them the same info as My Air. You noticed they didn't say anything about deleting that information. So back to airplane mode you go.