Just curious about my RT.

[Danno54]

I am curious.

I searched the board for "what does a respiratory therapist do" and got lots of hits but nothing that appeared to answer my question.  This may be out of bounds and I'll understand if it is deleted from the board but I'm really curious.  In my instance, I saw the RT when I got diagnosed and she handed me my system. showed me how to plug it in and put on the mask, adjusted the mask the way she thought it should be, and basically said goodbye.  Thirty days later I went back and she gave me a different mask because the one I had just didn't seem to be doing the job and said goodbye again.  In both visits, when I asked any questions the standard response was "you need to ask your doctor" (or, in my case, my PA). 

She's a very nice girl. Relatively attractive and easy to talk to, but I think all I have is an attractive saleslady.  What is a respiratory therapist supposed to do regarding APAP and it's uses?

[SarcasticDave94]

What I think the RT should do is coach you on therapy management, be able to teach what the data means, how the therapy works, and how to make therapy successful. In practice, it does a lot of times come down to an RT is the sales person selling you on more stuff every month. The RT in a DME has been the person I've dealt with that had to do machine setup before I picked up the PAP. They seem to have very little respiratory therapy training and lots of sales training.

How confident would you be when you're supposed to get in my case an ASV, and the RT says "I had to guess on setup. I couldn't figure out how to set it according to the script."? In about 5 minutes of Google searches, I was able to reset my ASV to ResMed titration settings with modifications to include some script info if I recall right. When the supposed "expert" has to guess at therapy I don't need to guess you're in trouble.

[Big Guy]

When I went in two years ago to pick-up my CPAP machine, the RT basically did the same thing. He sat the machine down on a table and explained how it works, went thru some adjustments to show me how to do them, helped to fit a mask, and asked if I had any questions. 

I told him that I was sure I'd have some questions after using it. He told me to call before I came in because he's quite busy.

[Dormeo]

I'm in the Kaiser health system, and my RT is inside Kaiser, not in the DME provider (Apria). She offered some coaching and help, though it was pretty limited. Topics included using tape to stop mouth leaks, the difference between Res Med and PR machines, the uses of EPR, and ways to acclimate at the start.

But I was the one who realized that I'd do better with EPR of 3 than 2 and that I should cap the maximum. Subsequently, I was the one who figured out the value of my moving to a bi-level machine. All of those changes arose from what I learned here.

[Danno54]

What I think the RT should do is coach you on therapy management, be able to teach what the data means,

Teach what the data means? 

You can't be serious!

I'm not sure they even KNOW what the data is!  When I went to the RT I took along a print of OSCAR data.  She had a befuddled look. Not like she was surprised I had it (although I'm confident she was) but more like she had no idea what to do with it.  Of course, in her defense, my PA didn't have a much better reaction, she didn't even flip through it and said my reports looked just fine.  I have no idea what kind of info they get from RESMED but if it's the same stuff that I see in MyAir I can understand why they don't know how to react.  I'll stick with the advise of the people on this board.  I've gotten better results and more explanation here than all the "pros" combined!

[Sleeprider]

An RT is usually well trained and could do much more, but their hands are tied when it comes to things like settings, or even interpreting whether your machine and settings are appropriate to your needs. They can only set the machines to settings prescribed by doctors, PA and registered nurses. They certainly understand a great deal about the respiratory system and how it interacts with the positive air pressure machines that we use, but they are strictly forbidden from giving anything that might resemble medical advise, or contradictory to physician orders. It's really a shame and I'm sure it is demoralizing to them their role is so limited in spite of their knowledge and skills.

[Gideon]

The RT's job is to implement the doc's prescription. That is to teach you how to operate the machine, help you with masks and some info on comfort features. An RT has no authority to make changes that are not ordered by the doctor. Doing so would cost him a job.

You however have no such restriction.

[SarcasticDave94]

I know I would not sign up for being an RT. I'd be fired in 5 minutes anyway for giving better advice than Doc Dolittle.

[53lowt]

Ok I went round with RTat one DME who refusedto turn in blue tooth on my Dreamstation, told me nothing about the Phillips app and wanted me to call her fora weekly report if I wanted any information on machine prrformance. Dolaughed and told me to go to YouTube to adjust clinically and get data. That DMEgot a returned machine. Second DMEcalled this week about Dreamstation I got from them because “someone must have changed the pressure settings (I did based on docs statement and his recommendation I went from minimum 4 to 7 and turned off ramp as I struggled to breath for the first twenty minutes each night...she claims insurance may find adjustments without script changes to be Noncompliance?any truth or is she spreading the bull like the first RT?

[Gideon]

It's bull.


Compliance is strictly about use.
Surprisingly, ok not, when Doc's see therapy working successfully, most are willing to accept it, even claim it as their idea.  But there are those that will feel you are messing with their domain, such as your RT's.

Read this https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p...tup-manual

There is a lot of talk about how it's "illegal" for Sleep Apnea patients to adjust or change their own CPAP machine pressure settings; that only a licensed, certified or qualified technician, physician or clinician can do it.

First of all, I challenge anyone to show me any local, state or federal law that makes adjusting your own legally-obtained CPAP machine a crime, or even threatens punitive action for doing so. Go ahead, I double-dog dare ya. If you can show me such a law, I'll give you a one-year free membership on Apnea Board. Oh, wait...  that's already free. Moving right along...

Yes, you must first have a prescription to obtain a CPAP machine - but after you OWN one, you are within your rights to do whatever you please with it, including using it as a leaf blower, running it over with the family car, or... (oh no!) - changing your own pressure settings.