Sleep apnea is a serious health condition which affects your ability to breathe continuously throughout the night. Without treatment, sleep apnea increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and much more. Thankfully, continuous positive airway pressure, known as CPAP therapy, is a highly effective method in eliminating dangerous sleep apnea associated health problems.
Trouble Committing to CPAP Therapy
Still, despite our extensive knowledge on the benefits of CPAP therapy, about half of people prescribed CPAP treatment don’t stick to it. Whether it’s because they aren’t comfortable with the sleep apnea mask or they just don’t want to acknowledge their condition, leaving sleep apnea untreated is a risk no one should take. This lack of continued treatment has brought sleep apnea product engineers and web designers to create novel telemarketing software.
What is telemonitoring?
Easy to access by both you and your doctor, telemonitoring software allows you to track your CPAP treatment progress from the palm of your hand. Smartphone apps like myAir Health and U-Sleep deliver information such as number of episodes without breath, whether your mask is experiencing air leaks, and how many hours of CPAP machine use you’re getting. The creators of these apps say that they keep sleep apnea sufferers compliant. They’re continuing their treatment more effectively and feel comfortable discussing their issues with their health care providers.
Perhaps one reason these applications help CPAP users stick to their treatment is that they offer the user control over their equipment. Many of these applications give you the ability to turn your machine on and off from your phone, adjust humidity, and manage pressures remotely. When discomfort is the leading reason people discontinue their treatment, the ability to control comfort settings easily and instantaneously is more than just a luxury. Having a positive and comfortable CPAP experience is a necessary part of sleep apnea treatment.
Insurance and CPAP Therapy: The Future of CPAP Telemonitoring
When ResMed released its latest version of the AirSense CPAP machine, the company’s CEO Mick Farrel discussed the implications of the new software on CPAP equipment. He explained that these novel ways to gather data will not only help the sleep apnea sufferer but also those who help pay for the machines, ie: insurance companies.
If you’re looking to re-order CPAP supplies, many common insurance companies are already requiring that you demonstrate compliance with your CPAP treatment. Although some CPAP users complain that this feels like an invasion of privacy, the step is one way to safeguard insurance companies’ assets by making sure that you’re actually using your equipment.
If you’re interested in using one of these applications to keep a closer eye on your health, you’ll need a recent model CPAP machine equipped with an SD card and wireless capabilities. Philips Respironics System One CPAP and BiPAP machines such as the REMstar plus and pro lines are generally compatible. You can check their “DreamMapper” application’s website for more details. You can find an array of excellent CPAP machines with data monitoring capabilities on our website, Breatheeasycpap.com. We’d love to help keep your sleep apnea in check and make sure your treating your condition as best as you possibly can. Visit our online storefront today!
