Like many sleep therapy product providers, Donna Smith, CRT, manager of respiratory care services at Home Care Medical in New Berlin, Wis, is familiar with the challenge of keeping clients up to date on the latest advances in this fast-moving field.
“So many times we hear back from clients, ‘Oh, I wish I had known that this new mask was out,’ or ‘I’ve had some questions, but I forgot to call you,’” she says.
But Smith’s solution is somewhat unique. To make Home Care Medical’s clients better informed, her company organized a sleep fair.
Dianne Jenkins, RRT, (seated, left foreground) talks with CPAP clients attending Home Care Medical’s sleep fair on May 21.
Networking Opportunity
As a respiratory therapist, Smith had attended and participated in sleep fairs hosted by referral sources in area hospitals and clinics, so she knew the benefits they could offer.
“We thought that this would provide our clients and referral sources with a place to network with others, investigate new sleep products that are on the market, and really get their questions answered, in addition to getting their pressures checked and masks refit for new facial applications,” Smith says.
Dubbed “Safe Sleep: Had Any Lately?”, the fair premiered May 21, 2003, at Home Care Medical and included a guest speaker followed by an hour-and-half period for clients to visit vendor representatives and consult with Home Care Medical staff.
All continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)/ bilevel positive airway pressure clients from the past year and a half received invitations. Home Care Medical restricted attendance for the speaking portion of the program, but all others who were interested had access to the rest of the fair.
Ron Baake, owner of the Wauwatosa, Wis, Sleep Wellness Institute—a sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment center—opened the Wednesday evening sleep fair at 6:30 pm with a presentation about ways for clients to get a good night’s sleep. After the half-hour session, the 52 attendees were free to enjoy a light dessert, sip some tea or coffee, and browse the new products at vendor booths until 8:30 pm.
Home Care Medical staff members also were available to provide mask refits, answer clinical questions, and check machine pressures. Many attendees brought their own equipment, including CPAP machines, masks, and nasal pillows.
Since it was the dealership’s first sleep fair, only the company’s top three vendors were invited to showcase their wares.
“We were a little intimidated and afraid; we didn’t know what to expect,” Smith says.
The vendors and Home Care Medical donated products, such as restaurant gift certificates and CPAP accessories for door prizes and raffles.
The company also handed out a survey in order to get feedback from participants on the event and to look for ideas for future sleep fairs. The overall response was very positive, Smith says, from not only the company’s clients but also the vendors.
Win-Win Situation
“The vendors were quite pleased at the turnout,” Smith says. “They weren’t just standing there hoping that someone would come by their booth. They had someone in their booth.”
Some client attendees were even reluctant to leave.
“Literally, we still had someone here a little after 9 pm, and we were thinking, ‘OK, it’s over.’ But [our clients] were so willing to wait and get information. That’s what made it profitable for us—to see their faces and know that they were pleased and this was a success.”
In fact, it was such a success that Smith and the rest of the staff at Home Care Medical have plans to hold another sleep fair this month.
For the next event, scheduled for November 19, Home Care Medical hopes to include physicians and other referral sources to show them how Home Care Medical increases public awareness about sleep disorders and to give them the opportunity to see patients interacting with Home Care Medical staff. In that way, the sleep fair becomes an excellent referral gaining tool, but that was not the dealership’s main intention for holding the event, Smith says.
“Truly this is [the clients’] fair. We may be hosting it, but we’re putting it on for them,” she says. “We want them to feel empowered when they leave and know that they can come back home, which is to Home Care Medical, and that we will be there for them to provide not only equipment but also service and to help with that communication link between them and their doctor and us if they’re having any problems.”
Kelly Stephens is news editor of Dealer/ Provider.
| Respiratory Insider |
 Breaking into an already established medical market is not easy, which makes the achievement of InnoMed Technologies, Boca Raton, Fla, all the more noteworthy. After entering the sleep marketplace 18 months ago with the Nasal Aire, the company, as shown in published reports, has captured significant market share, according to CEO R. Patrick Karem. Dealer/Provider discussed this early success with Karem.Q How did InnoMed Technologies enter the sleep market and how has its presence changed the marketplace?
A First, I believe that the sleep marketplace has been asking for products like Nasal Aire and Nasal Aire II for many years; therapists and patients have been asking for an interface “kind of like an oxygen cannula.” When Tom Wood, CRRT, invented the Nasal Aire, his first concern was for the patients and how noncompliant they were using conventional CPAP masks. Our interface eliminated the need for bulky headgear and pressure points on the face, and it increased patient compliance with CPAP. Second, I feel that our management team is one of the most experienced in the industry. Ken Godish, director of home care sales; Hans Werner, director of international sales; and I have more than 30 years of management experience in this industry with leaders such as ResMed and Respironics. Last, our introduction to the market changed the way patients and manufacturers look at interfaces and the way to do business. Our technology, revolutionary design, and unmatched customer service have made InnoMed Technologies an industry leader in growth and performance. Q What makes InnoMed Technologies’ Nasal Aire I and Nasal Aire II different?
A Simply put, we listened to the patients. The family of Nasal Aire products eliminates many of the common complaints about masks on the market today. As the market demand grew for new interface products, masks became more complicated and difficult to clean and reassemble, and patients became less compliant. The Nasal Aire interfaces eliminated many of the objections with standard masks and helped with compliance. It’s always a great feeling when you talk to patients or receive letters from them saying that the Nasal Aire allowed them to sleep better, and many said that they were able to use their CPAP machines again. Q What is on the horizon in the sleep market?
A The sleep industry is growing at 18% to 20% annually and should continue to do so for the next 10 to 15 years, at least. There will be new and innovative ideas and products that will come to market, and public awareness should move forward in a positive way. From InnoMed Technologies in the near future, you will see a number of new products, like our InnoMed Aire CPAP units, and there is always room for another player in this marketplace. |
| Respiratory Insider |
 Nebulizers are more effective than some other asthma-treating devices, says Omron Healthcare Inc Respiratory Marketing Manager Gerry Frank, but noncompliance can sharply reduce that efficacy. Patients not following prescribed therapy are a detriment not only to the patients, but also to referral sources—and dissatisfied referral sources are not good for HME providers. Dealer/Provider spoke with Frank about how Vernon Hills, Ill-based Omron strives to make devices that promote compliance.Q How do nebulizers compare to other asthma-treating devices, such as metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and dry-powder inhalers (DPIs)?
A Nebulizers require a compressed air source or some other mechanism to create the aerosol. MDIs or DPIs typically utilize a propellant or the patient’s inhaled breath to propel the medication particles. Most studies comparing the different delivery devices demonstrate that nebulizers are the most effective means to get the medication to the target delivery site in the lungs. Spacers help with MDIs, but are still not as effective. Q What are the biggest obstacles to nebulizer compliance?
A The biggest obstacles to nebulizer compliance are nebulizer size or portability and the amount of time required to complete a treatment. If it is not convenient, patient compliance will be low and the patient condition could get out of control. Q How does Omron address those problems?
A Omron has developed nebulizers that are extremely small and portable, can be used almost anywhere, and enable faster delivery times. For example, the Omron MicroAir nebulizer utilizing Vibrating Mesh Technology delivers most nebulizer solutions, weighs about six ounces, and operates on two AA batteries. In addition, it has the potential to deliver concentrated doses, requiring less dose volume than traditional compressor-driven nebulizers. Q How do you foresee the nebulizer/respiratory market changing in the near future?
A The most significant advancements in nebulizer technology are smaller product size, reduced dose volume, and faster delivery. The new technology used in the MicroAir enables a single dose to be less than 0.5 mL, compared to 2.5 mL today, with the same milligram dose of medication. Reducing dose volume this significantly has a dramatic effect on time of delivery. We believe the market will go in this direction because of the obvious patient benefits. When you combine nebulizer performance with compact nebulizer size and fast delivery, you have the patient- and physician-preferred drug delivery system. |
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