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Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
#1
Gross 
Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
So I'm totally new here with only one night of CPAP under my belt. Forgive me, please, if I'm posting too much and repeating what everyone here already knows. I get obsessive when I'm working on something new, and CPAP is what I'm doing today...

Unlike (maybe) the average person, I read every page of every piece of literature I got with my CPAP machine. Frankly, I kind of ignore talking people who give canned presentations and rely later upon my own reading of the documentation to guide me on a lot of things. The "technician" who fitted my mask was a really nice guy, but couldn't answer my technical questions. Probably because I'm weird. This happens to me often.

What I was told wouldn't have instructed me to place the machine where the manufacturer suggests, so there's something to be said for RTFM. (My bedside table was higher than the mattress surface; my floor is carpeted and near a heater. Both are not acceptable!)


Anyway, the booklet from the DME (*not* the manual from the manufacturer of my device) is kind of insane. It has one or two pages of information specific to device maintenance and replacement parts, and then another 20 or so pages of unrelated garbage. Some of it, like "preventing falls in the home," is important for elderly folks, but seems copied direct from the internet. It also seems to assume I'm an octogenarian when I'm in my 40's...

Other bits, like an admonition to only use plastic cutting boards because "wood cutting boards are more prone to harboring bacteria", have been shown to be wrong. The US government recommended plastic back in the 1980 or 90's, but now it is acknowledged that wood can be just as safe. (Consumer Reports wrote about it in June 2018 if you want a source.)

Those details don't really matter here, but the blatant falsehood makes me distrust this "medical" provider. I suspect there's lots of this nonsense where durable medical equipment is concerned, but I'm going to send a letter to my health insurance company specifically pointing out *this* dissemination of wrong information by a provider to whom they sent me. I've already called them tonight, been hung up on once, and I'm afraid I tormented the second poor young man with my demands for detailed (written) information about my insurance coverage. Because their website is down tonight, too, and I wasn't willing to wait to get a list of alternate DME providers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should state here that I now see a "direct medical care" physician for my own primary care. I got too fed up with the insurance system to tolerate it any more, and now I pay my doctor monthly as I do the cable and cell phone companies. He has time to see all of his patients for as long as each visit requires (and guarantees hospital visits if you're admitted, God forbid!) including offering house calls for a small extra fee if you're sick, and he answers email, calls, and texts himself, usually within minutes. I LOVE it, and it has pushed me toward the "direct care lobby" idea that our medical insurance should be more like our car insurance--for emergencies, not everyday stuff.

I'm really curious: do other DME's hand out poorly written, factually incorrect booklets with CPAP machines? Because... ARG!

--willo
  (who rants better than she breathes during sleep, apparently)
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#2
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
I'd say, yes they probably do write some meaningless pamphlets. That's their job, their reason for existence. Their job is not to support the customer.

Oh and if you post too much, I'll just throw a red flag on your account and that'll stop it.

Before you take the above too serious, see my screen name.

Welcome to AB if I'd not said so before.

Coffee
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#3
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
Who posts too much? Don't worry unless you plan to overtake my post count Smile.

Your DME provides information that they hope the average customer will read. Only 50% of their average customers will even use the therapy. Our members tend to be in a whole different category. Welcome, and ask anything you want to know. or as they used to say on Car Talk, Stump the chump.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#4
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
I actually called in to Stump The Chump... and I did actually stump the chump!!!!

Anywhoo…

My 1st DME provided me with nothing. That was like a kingdom where the sleep "doctor" was the king as well as the DME. I fired him/them.

My 2nd DME provided me a simple list of when to replace what. That was nice.

I'm also the type that ignores everything rote that they say, but reads everything they give me. BTW I have been able to successfully keep my CPAP on my nightstand - that is higher than my mattress/pillow - now that I have a heated hose and a hose cover. :-) Score one for the patient!
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#5
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
My bedside table is higher than my mattress as well. I have been able to make it work by using a good hose hanger, a heated hose, and a hose cover. The hose hanger helps manage the hose and makes it harder to pull the cpap machine off of the table. The heated hose helps prevent rainout (condensation in the hose). The hose cover helps with preventing rainout as well as reducing noise and making the hose more comfortable to sleep with. Sometimes we have to do what we have to do.

Some members put their machines in a drawer of their bedside table which reduces noise and gets the machine lower.
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#6
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
Welcome to the forum Willo. As you will quickly find out it is hard to get help from DME's, clinicians and sleep doctors. During my search for a good DME one actually told me she had over 1000 "customers" and didn't have time to be reading their daily downloads. I kindly told her I wasn't her "customer" and quietly walked out. Those attitudes are why we have the "Apnea Forum". If you read through everything, as you said, you will see over 210,000 posts on this forum board. I truly believe the reason half the people give up on sleep apnea, is directly because of the lack of knowledge and caring of the "patients", by the sleep doctor and dme's.

I started out having serious problems with my therapy and could not get help from my medical team. I turned to this forum, and immediately was asked to make adjustments to my machine. After about 6 weeks, I am happy to say it is rarely I go above 1.00 and truly average <1.00 on the AHI index. I owe it to this forum and the dedicated volunteers for my success. Was it easy? NO!! I still haven't found the perfect mask and may never find it. I still dislike wearing all the gear each and every night, but one thing I sincerely enjoy, is visiting with my kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. Continuing with my sleep therapy contributes to that endeavor.

Please listen to the advise you are given on this forum. Don't question any advise before you even try it. Don't analyze or criticize the messenger who gives it to you. They will have much more experience than you do and they truly can help. I am living proof of that.

Mike
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#7
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
Your health insurance company doesn't care. Contact the manager of the DME and point out that their patient booklet has at least several things that have been disproven and that they should update it with current information before handing more out. As a health care provider, putting out wrong information makes all of their information suspect. Point out the specific things you can prove.

I can't tell you how many idiots tell me that I'll get Alzheimer's from aluminum despite the fact that that concern was disproven in the 1990s (more than 2 decades ago!).
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#8
RE: Do DME companies with crazy stuff in their literature?
To be honest, I think most of those materials are written by copywriters instead of health professionals. I have seen similar issues with promotional materials of some other health products as well.
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