Does anyone know if there is a Consumer Report type comparison of xPAP machines?  I was wondering if there had been any independent testing/evaluation of different manufacturers.

Thanks

Trish

Perhaps we should all request they do evaluations, and when it publishes, it could serve the dual purpose of helping patients select machines, AND educate the undiagnosed report readers.

Just checked Consumer Reports online.  While there are a few articles that reference sleep apnea, there are no reviews of machines or masks.

justtrish wrote:

Does anyone know if there is a Consumer Report type comparison of xPAP machines?  I was wondering if there had been any independent testing/evaluation of different manufacturers.

Thanks

Trish

Because CPAP therapy is a prescription item I doubt you will ever see consumer reports on individual machines.

The CPAP manufacturers will make sure of that  

Taking this a step further.........it would be nice to have consumer reports on the companies that distribute the equipment (DMEs). CPAP machines merely blow air at a predetermined pressure, APAP machines blow air when they think the time is right and BiLevel machines blow air at two different pressures and in almost all cases they are fairly reliable..............BUT the companies who distribute them certainly need a watch dog to keep them 'patient focused'...........maybe a job for the ASAA, with, of course, complete financing from the manufacturers.......

What does the forum think ?????


Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

Daniel:

I think an independently administered survey on DMEs would be great. You might want to contact Consumer Reports. I am sure they have a some tips and tricks for doing that. They could also tell you how to navigatet the legal issues. Perhaps the project could even be a cooperative venture.

I do think there is a need for a CR-type review of machines. Yes, they all do the same thing, it's true. But if CR did such a test, they would test them for durability, they would check the accuracy of the pressures and the output of the humidfiers. They would have users test them for ease of use.  

I also think there is definitely a need to do a CR-type test of masks. It would be great to get a representative sample of CPAP users: people with all different sizes and shapes of faces and people who use different pressures and have them all do a round-robin of all the main mask brands and types out there. The users could rate each mask for comfort, leakage, ease of use and ease of cleaning.

Many of the on-line web sites solicit customer reviews whenever somebody buys something from them, and show customer ratings of the device and comments in their descriptions.

Bearded One wrote:

Many of the on-line web sites solicit customer reviews whenever somebody buys something from them, and show customer ratings of the device and comments in their descriptions.

Yes, but it's so easy to fake that and to write bogus reviews.  I only take such reviews seriously when there are a lot of them (more than 100).  Otherwise, it's too easy to skew the numbers.  I was hoping for a reputable, independent organization without an ulterior motive.

I wonder if we could interest CR to do this type of testing.  I know it's not really an consumer good, and it would only appeal to a very small portion of the population, but it doesn't appear that anyone is inpendently checking the reliability of these machines.  I am going to have to choose one very soon.  I don't know where to start.  I can't tell which company's machines have better reputations.  

I don't really care so much about the mask because this is a personal preference thing that has to fit an individual's face.  Most of my money is going into the machine and this is what I expect to last - hopefully trouble free - for 2+ years.  The mask is a lower ticket item and I might be changing them simply to try out different ones or to find something that feel better.

I also have to consider the possibility that my needs might change, so I want to get a machine that will fit present and future needs, and this is probably the hardest thing to plan for.  Are there any studies about whether patients usually begin treatment with one type of machine but end up, after a period of time, needing a different type of machine?

I just don't want to take whatever it is that Cigna's DME hands me.

Thanks for all your help!

Trish

I agree that those reviews on mail order sites need to be taken with a grain of salt, although the comments can be useful.  I actually like to read the low rated reviews to see if the person is complaining about stuff that I don't care about.  Sometimes a lower rating can be caused by some feature (or lack of a feature) that I don't care about, or maybe don't even want.

Although I have some issues with my DME's customer service, I am very happy with the CPAP machine that my insurance company's DME handed me (a new, in the box, Fisher and Paykel HC-233).  It is the lower-end model of the series and it does everything that I need it to do; I am also very happy that it will run off of a standard power inverter.  F&P even answers technical email from users, which is not usual.  I had been on CPAP for 12 years when I got my new machine and was still using my original machine.  I knew that I wanted either a Fisher and Paykel or ResMed CPAP.  I called the first DME on my insurance company's list and asked them what brand of CPAP machines they provide, they told me Fisher & Paykel; I called the sleep clinic and told them where to fax my script and sleep study.

Many people can tell you their opinion of the machines that they use or have heard tale about.  I mentioned that I like the F&P HC-233 (HC-234 is the same, with patient compliance monitoring added).  I hate my Puritan Bennett GoodNight 420G because it is noisy (it has been exchanged already, the first one whistled).  

I am not sure what you mean that your "needs might change".  Do you have any specific idea about what needs might change?

If your medical needs (other than pressure prescription) change, you will need a new type of machine anyway.  I would suggest that you ask your doctor to specify a heated humidifier.  If you are worried about needing to change types of machines (such as going from CPAP to BiPAP), make sure that your machine is rented, not purchased.  I think that new CPAP users should rent their first machine anyway (unless there is a possibility that you may lose insurance coverage).  If insurance is paying for it, using a good DME is also a Good Thing to do.

Bearded One wrote:

Many people can tell you their opinion of the machines that they use or have heard tale about.  I mentioned that I like the F&P HC-233 (HC-234 is the same, with patient compliance monitoring added).  I hate my Puritan Bennett GoodNight 420G because it is noisy (it has been exchanged already, the first one whistled).

I guess I'm just apprehensive about making a wrong decision when I don't have a solid base of information on which to make a selection.  It looks like a LOT of people are on the M series RemStar, but I've also heard there might be some problems with it.  I had been looking online at the major manufacturers' lines - ResMed, Respironics, Puritan Bennet, Invacare & F&P.  I thought the heated tubing of the F&P 600 series might be something to look into.  My only problem with the F&Ps is that they look too much like medical equipment, and I feel the other companies manage to make units that don't look like something you have seen in a hospital.

I'm a bit sorry to hear the GoodNights are noisy.  Their size definetely made them something I would consider.  My nightstands are only so big and I do need to keep lamps, phone, alarm clock and space for a book.  Another consideration is that living on the beach in hurricane country, I need a machine that is portable and has an alternate form of power.  The barrier islands are evacuated when a hurricane warning is in effect and it can take a while for power to be restored, as we all saw during Wilma.  And then there's the constant humidity levels we deal with here, which are higher with the ocean in your backyard.  I was looking at Invacare's CPAPs with the rechargeable battery 'cause it doesn't appear to be so big, and I can always purchase additional rechargeable batteries.

I would rent, but I travel a lot too, and I'm thinking I may end up with two units, one for home and one packed ready to go.  I wouldn't want to come home late from a trip and then have to deal with setting up my machine so I can sleep.  Most of the time, when I fly out, I do so in the mornings, which gives me more time before the evening to set up at the hotel, but less time in the mornings to break down the machine and pack it to leave.  When I return, I usually fly out in the afternoons to early evenings.  The convenience of having more time/less to do would make another machine worth it, even if I had to pay for it completely by myself.

Anyway, these are all the things going through my mind now.  Pretty soon the decision will have to be made.

Thanks for all your advice.

Trish

Trish, my husband uses a Fisher & Paykel plain Jane CPAP machine with integrated humidifier and it seems to work fine and I can testify that it is quiet.  And he keeps it on the floor beside his bed.  But it is a little bulkier than other machines and might be less attractive for a traveller, especially if you fly.  We've taken it on car trips and when using our travel trailer, without any problems.  Remember to take an extension cord when you travel.

This past weekend I was messing around with my GoodNight 420 and found:

   *  The noise is coming out of the air outlet, not the machine housing.

   *  A beefier power supply does not help (unit was provided with a 12V 2A power supply, I tested it with a 14V 4A supply).

   *  Hooking up an empty humidifier reservoir from my F&P CPAP machine, made it MUCH quieter.  

       The problems with using this specific reservoir is that it has a non-standard input connector and that it is bulky.
       There is another similar type of F&P reservoir that uses standard input and output connectors, which is used
       with their F&P stand-alone heated humidifiers.

I ordered a Puritan Bennett / Tyco passover humidifier ($100) that was designed to fit the GoodNight machines to see if that is a suitable solution.  A housing fits under the CPAP machine and the humidifier is a drawer that slides into the housing.  A passive humidifier is keeping in line with my desire for a portable low power draw 12V CPAP.  If it works this will be an elegant solution, and I understand that the CPAP with this humidifier fits well in the provided CPAP carrying bag.  

If this does not work, the next step will be to get a reservoir ($15) that is made for the F&P HC100/150 standalone heated humidifier.  This particular reservoir could have been the first choice because it is inexpensive and a similar reservoir is known to work, the drawback is the form factor.

There is a heated humidifier ($170) available for the GoodNight series.  I prefer a passive humidifier because there is no power required.  I am using the humidifier as a muffler and probably won't fill it with water anyway.  The heated humidifier is larger and bulkier.  In user reviews it seems that there are some design features that are not desirable, such as that a tool is required to separate the humidifier from the CPAP machine; which is necessary to clean the reservoir.