[Treatment] Directory of patient-enabling CPAP Treatment Providers

[EasySleep]

Being tied to a "traditional", dictatorial doctor due to insurance coverage needs, I'm  enviously, eagerly longing to find the kind of patient-enabling physicians who let patients fine-tune their Rx settings, as it seams so many users here may have found, which allows them to be helped deeply, in a sort of self-treatment, on this and other CPAP forums... 

The fine-tuning that we all know we need, after the initial sleep doctor has started the journey with an insurance-eligible sleep study, shouldn't require a new sleep study or even the price of a specialist visit. We need to be able to find the doctors who can be supportive of the type of self-treatment help given on this forum, and will also give the patient without problems, the Rx refills they need yearly to maintain their insurance coverage for supplies, as well as the machine renewal as per the manufacturer schedule. 

We need these Doctor's names and addresses, and whether they are a primary care physician.

Hoping the list will get established in this forum (hopefully as a sticky) - and grow; or if you know of such a list somewhere, please indicate?
Thank you

[Jeff8356]

I hate to say this, but most of us are here because doctors have failed us miserably. We came here to educate ourselves and take control of our own health. A very rare few users here have found doctors they like and have helped them. I have gotten much better results here in the forum then i ever could have gotten from my sleep dr. It's your choice of course, but there are some very knowledgeable and skilled people here that can offer advice on your treatment. Post some charts and ask some questions....

[sauerkraut]

Easysleep;
     I'm afraid Jeff8356 is right ..  
     I admit I'm one of the lucky ones .. Home Sleep Study monday night, Diagnoisis Severe Apnea AHI 48 ..
New AS11 friday morning the same week .. Original setting AHI average less then 2 right from the start ..
     The specialst at the V. A. Pulmonology Clinic in Green Bay Wisconsin took very good care of Me ..
     So there is Your first reference !!
     Good Luck with the List !!
                           Steve

[Melman]

My experience is similar to Jeff's. The good news is that my doctor and, I believe, many others have no interest in the data and don't monitor therapy. So we are free to do what we want. I don't ask permission or discuss settings with my doc. He's satisfied if my AHI is under 5. What he doesn't know can't hurt me.

[Nightynite]

My PCP is great, as long as I explain my needs, and show some evidence to back up what I’m requesting, ( Oscar charts)  she is very accommodating.  I can even do this with a virtual vist.

I just need someone who can fill my 2 prescriptions and write a script for my cpap needs and she fills the bill.  Just the way I like it.

[Deborah K.]

Actually, you will find that there are lots of good people on this list who can give you better advice than most doctors can provide regarding pap machine use.  They can offer you the best advice if you download OSCAR and provide the information you receive from it on here.  Someone else can tell you better than I can how you can download OSCAR and put the information on here.  I'm sure one of them will show up soon to help you do just that.

One of the board administrators would be the most helpful.

[EasySleep]

Thanks to all for the replies
(Sorry the interface does not allow me to write anything above the quotes so I have to copy-paste them below instead)

My question is moot for those who can, or have to, fully pay for their care on their own: Thanks God they can rely solely on the forum for maintenance of machine settings, after they have had their initial diagnosis, because they do not want to see a doctor anymore, just for insurance coverage which they don't need or can't access.

The question in my post is not to compare help on this forum to treatment from doctors, for that you are preaching to the choir, what I'm looking for, is to get both, i.e., to get a doctor who will be agreeable to my experimenting with my settings, with help like on the forum, and consequently, will feel comfortable to include them in my machine Rx when needed, and will prescribe my yearly supplies Rx renewal... because, I need these Rx's for insurance coverage, i couldn't afford the supplies, and even less the machine, without insurance paying on them. 

The posts below are *almost* giving me the type of information needed...

From Nightynite:
My PCP is great, as long as I explain my needs, and show some evidence to back up what I’m requesting, ( Oscar charts)  she is very accommodating.  I can even do this with a virtual vist.

I just need someone who can fill my 2 prescriptions and write a script for my cpap needs and she fills the bill.  Just the way I like it.

To Nightynite: Thanks, I need to verify if the Rx from a virtual visit are eligible for insurance coverage. 

From Melman:
My experience is similar to Jeff's. The good news is that my doctor and, I believe, many others have no interest in the data and don't monitor therapy. So we are free to do what we want. I don't ask permission or discuss settings with my doc. He's satisfied if my AHI  is under 5. What he doesn't know can't hurt me.

To Melman: That would be an ideal doctor for me! I do need to note though, that any changes made relating to the Rx settings, are inscribed in the machine SD card, and will show, if the Dr suddenly wants to look at Oscar.

These 2 posts above describe a cooperative doctor interaction with a patient who is self-treating, exactly what I'm looking for. 
But so far they are not usable as  their names are not given, and of course I thought of the privacy issue and "advertising" issue, after writing my initial post... maybe the usable information could be given in a PM post, or, the site could start the listing project (categorized by country), and would have these cooperative doctors listed by anonymous contributions in the wiki?

[Gideon]

Dr. " Don't do that.
It's working so il take credit for it and change the Rx in the records.


It is better to ask for forgiveness than to request permission.

[Nightynite]

Easysleep, I also see my Dr. face to face so this isn’t a Dr. that does online treatment with anybody.
I have established a patient/ Dr relationship so I hope that didn’t throw you thinking you could use my Dr. the same way.

I suggest you just make an apt. with a nurse practitioner, go in and talk to her. Tell her what you need and see if she is willing to work with you. All you need is someone who can write scripts for your supplies. Print out some Oscar charts, print out some pic of your supplies with the size and part number. Present yourself as a knowledgeable cpap person and you shouldn’t have any problem. You don’t need a Dr. they’re usually booked for a few weeks anyway. Hope this helps!

Also, My Dr. doesn’t do anything with my settings, that’s all me and apena board. We don’t even go there.
I buy nose cushions on eBay and Amazon.

[Melman]

My doctor is no cooperative with my self treatment. He's completely unaware of it. As I said, he has no interest in seeing data and doesn't monitor it or my settings. All he cares about is my annual verbal report that my AHI is under 5 and, I assume, the payment from my insurance. I never bothered to ask permission.