Portable Respiratory: Breathe Easy -- HME Business

Portable Respiratory: Breathe Easy

May 01, 2007

On the Go With Portable Respiratory

Do you ever go into work and find yourself daydreaming of being on a tropical island or beach? You imagine how the sand will feel underneath your feet and the sound the ocean makes as it licks the shore. The sun warms your face and you sip on a frozen Pina Colada to cool down. The sound of chimes as a customer walks into the front door of your HME store snaps you out of your mental vacation. Your customer wants to travel too and is looking for a portable CPAP that is lightweight and compact enough to easily make the trip on an airplane. Or maybe your customer has COPD and does not currently have a portable oxygen concentrator or a discreet over-the-shoulder tote bag. You are starting to notice a changing demographic of people who might be in need of home medical equipment, but aren't letting that need slow them down. This time you aren't daydreaming. The demographic has changed. Respiratory clients want to remain "on the go" at home, and they want to continue to travel.

Meet Your New Customers

"Thirty years ago, patients were typically prescribed home oxygen very late in the disease progression, only months before the end of life. Today, however, patients are being diagnosed sooner and physicians are prescribing oxygen therapy earlier in the disease process," says Frank Lazzaro, global product manager of oxygen therapy at Respironics, Murrysville, Pa. "This is leading to much younger, relatively healthier, and more active patients. This is the single most important influence that has led manufacturers to focus on respiratory products that promote and enable active, healthy lifestyles." Manufacturers are responding with products that are more lightweight, have a longer battery life, can be easily recharged, or feature systems that can allow clients to refill their own portable tanks at home.

"Because having a respiratory disease no longer means being confined to home, patients want oxygen therapy products that allow them to live active lives. There are exceptional products available that make it possible for patients to live active lives that include exercise, work and travel. An active lifestyle clearly promotes better health and happiness for the patient," Lazzaro says.

Manufacturers are enabling patients to spend a significant amount of time away from home without recharging the internal batteries of their POCs. Research indicates that oxygen patients want most in a portable concentrator.

"The long battery life is ideal for active patients who love to travel whether in a plane, bus, train or car," Lazzaro says. Providers can help travelers and active users have peace of mind, the feature they want from their products the most.

Breathe Easy: On the Go With Portable CPAPs

Everyone has heard that a picture is worth 1,000 words, but what about the significance of those 1,000 words? Notice how manufacturers describe CPAPs: compact, lightweight, portable, customized, ease of use, altitude adjustment, smaller, comfortable and convenient. With an increase in awareness of sleep apnea, more people are heading to sleep labs and being prescribed with CPAPs at an earlier age. And they want to comply without compromise and that entails being able to travel for business and pleasure with portable CPAPs that are easy to transport and aren't bulky or medical-looking. Manufacturers are introducing CPAPs with sleek designs that make CPAPs look similar to bedside alarm clocks.

So it isn't just portable oxygen concentrators that have been stealing all of the headlines when it comes to airline travel, now CPAPs are boarding for flight too. To support that effort, ResMed, Poway, Calif., offers a Web site for end users, www.myresmed.com that provides tips for clients traveling with CPAPs, illustrating that more users are taking their products along on business and vacation.

ResMed suggests that end users carry a letter from their doctor certifying the need for PAP treatment; obtain approval from the airline's medical services for use on flight; have a copy of the approval letter from the airline; and confirm the type of power cord or adaptor required by the aircraft. Providers can help clients to pack light with the design of CPAPs on the market today.

When Traveling With CPAPs Have the Following Information:

Your treatment pressure

Your mask size and type

Your HME provider's contact details

Your general practitioner's information

Your health insurance information

Consumer Corner: When Traveling With Oxygen, Have the Following Information:

Notify the airline 48 hours in advance that you will be carrying an FAA-approved portable oxygen device.

Ask about seating accommodations in order to use electrical outlets. You may have the opportunity to ask about a seat with a power port.

Carry extra batteries when an outlet is unavailable or to protect against any unexpected occurrences during flight.

Check in with the airport two hours in advance and notify airline personnel at check-in.

Ensure that your POC is in good working condition.

Designed for liquid oxygen users on the go, the Escort XL offers an extended supply of gaseous oxygen in a portable design. The device is equipped with 12 flow settings. TRG, (877) 877-3774, www.therespiratorygroup.com.

The Eclipse provides needed continuous flow oxygen for overnight travel and greatly reduces the amount of equipment at home. The Eclipse offers 3 lpm of continuous flow and the battery lasts three hours or it can be plugged into an electrical outlet for continuous usage. SeQual Technologies, (800) 826-4610,www.sequal.com.

The FreeStyle is a portable oxygen concentrator tailored specifically for clients who know no boundaries. FreeStyle captures the heart of what it means to live the good life, without limitation. FreeStyle's miniature batteries all fit inconspicuously with an accompanying AirBelt.

AirSep Corp., (716) 691-0202,www.airsep.com.

The EverGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator is the new oxygen therapy solution that gives the most active oxygen therapy patients the freedom to go wherever they want whenever they want. Its 8-hour battery life means that patients can test their limits without being limited by the device.

Respironics Corp., (800) 345-6443, www.EverGo.Respironics.com.

The OxyTOTE System provides self-contained supplemental oxygen delivery for patients and streamlines the oxygen delivery process by eliminating the need for a separate regulator, flowmeter, cylinder wrench and special valve seal. Western Medica, (800) 783-7890, www.westernmedica.com.

The DeVilbiss iFill Personal Oxygen Station makes it easy and convenient to fill portable oxygen cylinders in the home. It fills a wide range of cylinders from the M4 and M6, popular for traveling, to back-up E cylinders. iFill can fill an M6 cylinder in just a little over an hour. Sunrise Medical, (800) 333-4000, www.sunrisemedical.com.

The TOTAL O2® Delivery System combines stationary and portable oxygen in one safe, simple device, allowing patients to reclaim their independence. It provides the flexibility to fill seven cylinder sizes to a full 2000 psi capacity, and can be used with any one of CHAD?s electronic, pneumatic or disposable oxygen conserving devices. It also includes a patented filling mechanism that enables patients to fill their portable cylinders in the convenience of their own homes. Chad Therapeutics, (800) 423-8870, www.chadtherapeutics.com.

ResMed's S8 Flow Generators feature a compact design ideal for at home or for travel. It's compact without compromise. ResMed Corp., (800) 424-0737, www.resmed.com.

The Polaris TR CPAP, named for the True Rest it gives patients, is a small CPAP. Available with an integrated battery, the Polaris TR affords patients the flexibility and mobility to lead an active lifestyle and be able to use their CPAP system wherever and whenever they need it. Invacare Corp., (800) 333-6900, www.invacare.com.

Want a good night's sleep while traveling? The GoodKnight® 425ST Bi-Level® allow users to rest easy with its backup rate plus customized inspiratory/expiratory points. GoodKnight® 425ST Bi-Level®. Puritan Bennett, (800) 635-5267, www.puritanbennett.com.

ONLINE TRAVEL GUIDES/TIPS

AIRLINES

Alaska Airlines (800) 252-7522 www.alaskaair.com.

American Airlines (800) 433-7300 www.aa.com.

America West Airlines (800) 892-3624 www.americawest.com.

ATA Airlines (800) 435-9282 http://ata.custhelp.com.

Delta Airlines (888) 750-3284 www.delta.com.

Hawaiian Airlines (800) 367-5320 www.hawaiianair.com.

Midwest Airlines (800) 452-2022 www.midwestairlines.com/MAWeb/.

Northwest Airlines (800) 225-2525 www.nwa.com.

Southwest Airlines (800) 435-9792 www.southwest.com.

US Airways (800) 943-5436 www.usairways.com.