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+--- Thread: 95%??? AUTO (/Thread-95-AUTO)
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RE: 95%??? AUTO - DocWils - 03-05-2013
I'll try not to take that personally....
The doctors write the script but they are obliged to hand you off to someone else for aftercare. They can only give you so much advice for what you do next. That belongs to your therapist/aftercare/DME providers...
RE: 95%??? AUTO - Shastzi - 03-05-2013
(03-04-2013, 10:57 PM)2tall Wrote: Thanks for all the info...sucks being a newbie. Docs aren't much help if ya know what I mean
We all had to be newbies at the start.
Cheers & good luck!
=^.^=
RE: 95%??? AUTO - aehjr - 03-05-2013
Using the software to monitor your treatment is very valuable when speaking to your doctor. The efficacy data from either type of machine is invaluable biofeedback to them (and you) as to how well your therapy is working. It is worth the effort...
My pulmonologist had said a couple of times that he didn't like the autoset machines due to "the algorithms not working well." When I went to him with two months of data from ResScan; one month at fixed pressure and one month in auto mode, I could show him definitively that my AHI and leaks were lower in auto mode. I could also show him that my median pressure was well under the fixed pressure he had prescribed. He agreed on the spot to write me a prescription for an auto adjusting CPAP; I'm waiting now for the local DME to deliver my new machine.
I use both software packages but settled on ResScan for dealing with my doctor. I didn't want him rejecting the information the reports provide based on the SleepyHead disclaimer:
"This is a beta software and some functionality may not work as intended yet.
Please report any bugs you find to SleepyHead's SourceForge page."
RE: 95%??? AUTO - Shastzi - 03-05-2013
I always like a Doctor that wont argue with success!
RE: 95%??? AUTO - DocWils - 03-05-2013
(03-05-2013, 05:14 PM)Shastzi Wrote: I always like a Doctor that wont argue with success!
Few do.... unless they are arrogant bastards, and you do get them sometimes...
RE: 95%??? AUTO - Ugly - 03-05-2013
(03-05-2013, 09:50 AM)wilorg Wrote: I'll try not to take that personally....
The doctors write the script but they are obliged to hand you off to someone else for aftercare. They can only give you so much advice for what you do next. That belongs to your therapist/aftercare/DME providers...
So we're lost without hope.
RE: 95%??? AUTO - Sleepster - 03-05-2013
(03-05-2013, 09:50 AM)wilorg Wrote: The doctors write the script but they are obliged to hand you off to someone else for aftercare. They can only give you so much advice for what you do next. That belongs to your therapist/aftercare/DME providers...
The doctors can still have their offices follow up and see how things are going. Some doctors do that, some don't.
RE: 95%??? AUTO - DocWils - 03-06-2013
I can't say how it works in the US, but here the answer is sort of no. The doctors who do the actual diagnosis work at one of the hospitals, there are no private sleep doctors that I am aware of - once the script is written, there is a 3 month follow up to check if the therapy is working, but pretty much the patient is handed over to the LungenLiga for any follow ups from that point one - the yearly check is done then through them. If at any point there seems to be a worsening of the therapeutic quality, either the patient themselves or the LungenLiga will make an appointment to return to the doctor. With rare exception, it isn't rocket science. For the trouble cases, of course, there is considerable time and resources given at the hospital, but once the therapeutic norm is found for the patient and the 3 month follow up is shown to be stable, then again the patient is handed over for monitoring to other organisations. The LungenLiga becomes the speaking partner for the patient from that point on, and questions are usually brought first to them. Never having checked on it, I have no idea if there are DMEs here - I would hazard a guess the the LL acts more or less as one, as well as counsellor and patient advocate.
That the doctor becomes less involved once the therapeutic norm is achieved is hardly unique for any country - specialists are busy people, and once one patient is turfed out they have tons more waiting for their services. Long term counselling simply isn't part of their job - diagnose and fix is. It might be a nicer world if they could have the time to sit and listen to everything and chat once the fix is in, but there simply isn't the luxury for that in most medical practices of this nature. That is why most advice and counselling is given over to other people - the DME, the LL, the GP, whatever - the sleep doc's job is to diagnose and fix, and little else, just like the surgeon's job is to cut and fix and hand the patient back to the doc and nurses for aftercare once that job is done. I've done both sides of this, so I know what its like and I recognise the reasons for it. It isn't always nice, but it is the reality of modern medicine.