Respiratory Management celebrates the pioneers of technology with a spread that unites recent history and history in the making. RM talked to product managers, respiratory providers, therapists and industry experts to determine which products have made an undeniable impact on industry trends and patient outcomes — and collected the hottest products for the coming year.
- By Elisha Bury
- Jan 01, 2008
Are you and your sleep lab BFF? According to Ann Tisthammer, BS, RRT, vice president of clinical education at ResMed, you should be. She says to have a successful partnership, sleep providers must become the “best friend” of the sleep lab.
Respiratory Funding Update
Big news on competitive bidding came in July when, after an industry-wide push, CMS granted HME providers a third extension in the first round. The 60-day extension pushed the due date for bids back to Sept. 25 and the registration deadline back to Aug. 27.
- By Elisha Bury
- Sep 01, 2007
In an April 2007 Wachovia study on the HME sleep market, 47 percent of HME providers surveyed reported that their businesses had been impacted by sleep labs that sell sleep equipment.With sleep labs taking up that much of the market, are providers in danger of losing profitability and viability in the sleep market? Respiratory Management went to sleep providers and industry experts to find out what providers are doing to maintain a mutually rewarding relationship with sleep labs. If done right, the relationship could boost business for both parties while driving patient compliance.
- By Elisha Bury
- Sep 01, 2007
To reimburse or not to reimburse? That is the question that has the sleep industry on the edge of its seat as CMS reconsiders its policy for in-home sleep testing. The question is also at the center of debate for sleep labs, sleep physicians and clinicians concerned about how the delivery of in-home tests might impact the health of sleep apnea patients.
- By Elisha Bury
- Sep 01, 2007
Respiratory Funding Update
For nebulizer medications, this year has been one of refinement. After many changes since the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, reimbursement for nebulizer medications was further adjusted in the first half of the year.
- By Elisha Bury
- Sep 01, 2007
Pulmonary Rehab has done much to improve the outcomes of oxygen therapy for COPD patients through a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.
- By Elisha Bury
- Jul 01, 2007
Ask any oxygen provider to name the biggest challenge in the oxygen segment of respiratory and the obvious answer is reimbursement roadblocks.
- By Elisha Bury
- Jul 01, 2007
Bob McCoy, of Valley Inspired Products, Apple Valley, Minn., calls COPD the Rodney Dangerfield of health care — “COPD gets no respect.”
- By Elisha Bury
- Jul 01, 2007
Planting Bariatric Roots
Growth. For plants, generators of the air we breathe, the process begins small. A seed unfurls roots. The roots penetrate deeper into the earth, stabilizing the plant and drawing in nutrients for cell reproduction. The plant grows larger. The deeper the roots go, the greater the chance for the plant’s survival.
- By Elisha Bury
- May 01, 2007
Though many obese patients exhibit symptoms of asthma or sleep apnea — wheezing, shortness of breath, daytime sleepiness — those conditions could be masking another condition altogether.
- By Elisha Bury
- May 01, 2007
In a recent survey, a partnership between Wachovia and sister publication Home Health Products, HME providers said they saw average sleep market growth of 13 percent in the past 12 months and expected 12 percent growth over the next 12 months. That’s good news for the sleep industry, a segment recently slated for the first round of competitive bidding.
- By Elisha Bury
- May 01, 2007
Many bariatric surgeons will not operate if a patient does not have his or her sleep apnea under control. The reason is that an apnea event occurring while a patient is under anesthesia or using heavy narcotics after surgery could result in death.
- By Elisha Bury
- May 01, 2007
Asthma Branching
A study published in April by the American Thoracic Society showed that the incidence of asthma increases by 50 percent for overweight or obese individuals. Put into context: this means that since 65 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, the connection could have a tremendous impact on public health.
- By Elisha Bury
- May 01, 2007
- By Elisha Bury
- May 01, 2007
The RT Advantage
If home care had a mantra, it might be that customer service unlocks doors. Any self-respecting provider knows that the service component can make or break a respiratory business. Good service gives respiratory providers a leg up on competition, while poor service can cause a business to shut its doors.
How Emerging Trends, Current Technology and Patient Education Are Shaping the Future
- By Deborah Cooper
- Mar 01, 2007
The Right Bed & Support Surface Might Save Lives and Reduce Costly Hospitalizations, But Is CMS Listening?
- By Ellen Z. Harrison, Bob McCoy
- Mar 01, 2007