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+--- Thread: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? (/Thread-APAP-How-does-affect-need-for-sleep-therapist)
APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - MrSleepy1980 - 01-13-2015
New to this forum. But I'm doing some research into CPAP vs APAP. Given the industry shift from CPAP to APAP, how do you think this will affect the need for sleep clinics, i.e will it reduce the need for sleep therapists? How does the use of APAP affect the patient/therapist relationship?
I'd imagine APAP is ultimately more cost-efficient for a patient. Does it reduce visits to sleep clinics and hence, reduce profitability for a clinic?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - justMongo - 01-13-2015
It means the therapists are as useful as the President. They only need a pen!
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - MrSleepy1980 - 01-13-2015
Haha, thanks. Can you elaborate more?
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - quiescence at last - 01-13-2015
are you being treated for apnea? do you suspect you have apnea?
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - MrSleepy1980 - 01-13-2015
No and no. Just researching.
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - retired_guy - 01-13-2015
(01-13-2015, 10:10 AM)MrSleepy1980 Wrote: New to this forum. But I'm doing some research into CPAP vs APAP. Given the industry shift from CPAP to APAP, how do you think this will affect the need for sleep clinics, i.e will it reduce the need for sleep therapists? How does the use of APAP affect the patient/therapist relationship?
I'd imagine APAP is ultimately more cost-efficient for a patient. Does it reduce visits to sleep clinics and hence, reduce profitability for a clinic?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
In theory, the auto machines with some quality on-line advice from websites or suppliers would mitigate or even sometimes eliminate the need for sleep clinics and dme's.
In practice, the legal system, insurance system, medical system is not about to let that happen.
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - PsychoMike - 01-13-2015
Mr. Sleepy,
I don't see the APAP changing the need for sleep clinics...you still need the diagnostics before you can move into treatment.
I think the push toward APAP may reduce the reliance on DME's a bit, which I see as both a blessing and a curse. The curse part continues to come in the set-up. We've seen numerous examples where DME's will set up a machine wide open (APAP) and basically leave the patient on their own for a week or two before their next appointment to download the card. The patient, without adequate support, are not compliant with therapy due to a feeling of air starvation or issues with leaks. Conversely, a straight CPAP set-up may have meant multiple, multiple trips to the DME for each little adjustment in pressure, a royal pain for the patient.
Ultimately, I see the move toward APAP as a good thing: the patient gets better therapy through better equipment. A machine that is able to automatically adjust can be the difference between a RT saying "good enough" to an AHI of 4.5 (5 is the magic number) to a machine that can help reduce that AHI to possibly less than 1. The patient gets better sleep and better health as a result.
Don't get me wrong here...I have nothing against RT's and DME's in general. But when the former gets complacent with their patient's treatment / health or when the latter only see the patient as a source of income, I am "displeased". An APAP, and place like this that empowers the patient to play an active role in their health, can sometimes (including in my case) do more to accomplish optimized therapy and encouraging compliance and the average RT or DME.
RE: APAP - How does affect need for sleep therapist? - trish6hundred - 01-13-2015
Hi MrSleepy1980,
WELCOME! to the forum,! happy researching.