Tag: CPAP compliance

GLENVIEW, Ill. - Hypertension is associated with poor CPAP compliance, say researchers in a recent article published in CHEST Journal. Other things that result in poor compliance, considered less than four hours of use per night: Mask leakage and atrial fibrillation, they say. “Our results may helps us identify the patients who are at higher risk of poor compliance,” they write. “Identification of such patients will help in targeting them with the appropriate interventions to improve...

One of the keys to improving CPAP compliance is to understand where the challenges lie. To raise the static 55% compliance rate, providers need to learn about patient issues and set out to correct them, sleep vendors say.Achieving compliance with CPAP masks has been difficult ever since the technology was introduced—especially for patients just starting the therapy. Although there are various reasons why, Susie Justus, clinical support specialist for San Diego-based ResMed, says the two major...

It's a number that's floated around the industry for years: a CPAP compliance rate stuck at an average of about 55%.“I have people asking me all the time where that number comes from,” said Eric Cohen, president of Concord, N.H.-based National Sleep Therapy. “I don't know if it's anecdotal or came from some study in 2001 and people assume that it hasn't gotten any better.”One factor could be how compliance is determined, say providers. For example, tracking straight usage...

YARMOUTH, Maine - With compliance rates for CPAP therapy that fall somewhere between 51% and 75%, about half of the respondents to a recent HME NewsPoll admit there's room for improvement.But things could be looking up, with 58% saying their compliance rates have improved in the past year. One big reason for that: advances in technology, like the remote monitoring capabilities of today's CPAP devices.“The biggest impact on compliance has to be the use of modems,” wrote Spencer Burk, a...

LAS VEGAS - CPAP providers need to look beyond setups to boost their bottom lines, says Mary Beth Green, who spoke at Medtrade Spring last week.“The diagnosis of the OSA patient has declined,” said Green, senior marketer of business solutions for Philips Respironics. “(Add to that) the shock of competitive bidding and its impact on private pay, along with increased documentation requirements, and providers need to pinpoint opportunities to increase revenues.”One way to increase...

SAN DIEGO - A study presented this week at the American Thoracic Society 2014 International Conference shows a new algorithm can make APAP therapy more comfortable for women.“The overlooked gender differences of sleep apnea can make treatment uncomfortable and less effective for women,” said Jeff Armistead, vice president of medical affairs at ResMed, which funded the study.Researchers say the treatment algorithm addresses symptoms common to women: shorter respiratory events, apneas that...

CHACAGO - Exposure therapy can help desensitize patients to the claustrophobia or intolerance they may experience when using CPAP machines, a new study suggests. The therapy helped patients who participated in a small study to use their machines for more minutes per night, according to researcher Patricia Dettenmeier of Saint Louis University. Working with a nurse practitioner, researchers had patients wear CPAP masks an hour a day while they were awake, before using the machines during hour-long...

It's been a busy year for Rich Roberts, CEO of CPAP Care Club in Nashville, Tenn. In just 12 months, he's made a dozen acquisitions, tripled his workforce and won CPAP contracts in every market. Roberts spoke with HME News recently about the shift in HME to a “least-cost provider marketplace.”HME News: CPAP Care Club is a CPAP re-supply business. How do you plan to do CPAP machines under competitive bidding?Rich Roberts: Our main focus is still going to be on resupplies, but in select...

Q. How can our updated adherence program deepen our referral relationships and help drive more referrals?A. One of the great side effects of a good CPAP adherence and patient follow-up program is that you will, almost automatically, see your relationships with your referral sources go much deeper. They will start thinking of you as a “partner” versus just a “service provider” because you will become a source of office visits.When you stay in touch with patients on a regular...

A. I prefer to use the term “adherence” versus “compliance” when referring to keeping patients on CPAP therapy for two reasons: 1) it's a clearer way to communicate the idea and 2) it syncs with the terminology of referral sources.In the HME world, the general term “compliance” typically means that you meet a certain set of payer or regulatory rules. In the case of Medicare, to be in compliance, you need to meet CMS guidelines, and one of those guidelines includes...