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Permalink Reply by Judy on June 29, 2009 at 8:30pm

*sigh* Everyone acknowledges the obvious, compliance is subject to the education, support and advice provided to the patient. But so much of it is just talk, its lacking by the time we get to the patient. The sleep profession provides lip service, NOT real service for far too many.

Its too bad reimbursement isn't tied to the percentage of compliant patients!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Judy on June 29, 2009 at 9:23pm

Thank you, jnk.I so admire your ability to see the good and your voice of reason. But I can't help it, maybe I spend too much time reading these forums, but I get so angry and disgusted w/the sleep profession as I read what so many have gone thru, I tend to forget that most likely this is the minority. But that is so hard to believe when we read the compliance statistics. Overall something like 50% even tho it is reported over and over a high successful compliance rate WHEN proper support, education and advice IS provided. Talk is cheap .... people should NOT have to go thru this BS suffering as they do when such effective therapy is possible!!! They just SHOULDN'T have to!!!!

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on June 30, 2009 at 1:06am

This site and all of it's stories have changed the way that I do my job. Judy people in the industry are starting to listen to all of the anger. Lab approval rates have been dropping. This combined with more and more competition is forcing the situation.

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Permalink Reply by Judy on June 30, 2009 at 12:48pm

I sure hope so, Rock Hinkle, I sure do hope so!!!!! We NEED more like you and Rock Connor and Daniel and ..... goshes, the list is long of you "good'uns" who take the time to take part in these apnea support forums .... please know that I sure do appreicate each and every one of you - especially those brave souls willing to speak up occasionally at cpaptalk *giggle* "We" do tend to get carried away over there and some are just too too tough on the good guys in the sleep profession who try to help.

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on July 1, 2009 at 7:57am

Thanks judy. I do like to read the post at CPAPtalk.com. I just feel that my knowledge is still in it's infancy regarding the machines. At least for that site. I like it here. I feel like sleepguide.com is more of a pt advacant site than that of CPAPtalk.com. Not that it is not a great site. i spend quite a bit of time stalking their discussions since you pointed out jnk's post. It is definately a place for the seasoned PAP user.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on July 2, 2009 at 11:52am

i believe we each have an important role to play on forums like these, even the uninformed/ especially the uninformed -- to follow jnk's reasoning, without their simple (and sometimes not so simple) questions, we would not be able to draw the knowledge out of the more seasoned users and professionals, all of which helps lurkers and contributors to this forum immensely.

j n k said:

I like your anger. I like your disgust. And I'm glad you can't help it. I'm just saying that whatever it is that motivates you to be of such help to your fellow patients, I'm glad that you and people like you are doing what you do. The help from fellow patients has in many ways been of more value to me than the help I have gotten from professionals, and that is true even though I feel I have a great sleep doc and had a great tech.

For example, I needed the tech to check out my problem, but it was what I learned from you and others on forums that taught me what to say to the tech. I needed the sleep doc to write the Rx, but I needed you and others to help me know what to have him put on the Rx (even though he really didn't want to). I needed the DME to hand me a machine, but I needed you and others to help me see what machine and mask I should insist on getting. My DME was not helpful, but I didn't mind, because I had you and others to walk me through those first few weeks.

So, to me, you made up for the lack I experienced from everyone else. That is what makes what you do so important. The number of people you have helped guide through the insurance maze alone must be astronomical, and that help was what made everything else work right for them. Having people like you around is what takes the sting out of it for many of us.

So I am agreeing with you that the industry is messed up. I am just glad that people like you provide the solution you do for so many of us.

Talk may be cheap. But YOUR talk has been invaluable to me and thousands of others. You may not be able to single-handedly fix the problems in the medical industry, but you single-handedly fix a lot of problems for everyone else with your amazing posts.

Keep advocating for all of us, Judy. Your voice is getting heard on the message boards by many lurkers in the industry, I'm sure. And that has to be a good thing.

jeff


Judy said:

Thank you, jnk.I so admire your ability to see the good and your voice of reason. But I can't help it, maybe I spend too much time reading these forums, but I get so angry and disgusted w/the sleep profession as I read what so many have gone thru, I tend to forget that most likely this is the minority. But that is so hard to believe when we read the compliance statistics. Overall something like 50% even tho it is reported over and over a high successful compliance rate WHEN proper support, education and advice IS provided. Talk is cheap .... people should NOT have to go thru this BS suffering as they do when such effective therapy is possible!!! They just SHOULDN'T have to!!!!

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