National Sleep Therapy provides virtual support

CONCORD, N.H. - National Sleep Therapy (NST) seeks to provide CPAP users with an opportunity to interact with fellow sufferers by sponsoring a free monthly virtual support group called, “CPAP Talk - Live!”

“We wanted to create a community where patients could learn and interact with one another and find creative solutions to common problems as well as keep abreast of the latest products, technologies and CPAP tips,” said Eric Cohen, president.

Launched in March for National Sleep Therapy patients, the support group has since seen a rise in participation from non-customers over the past two months, thanks in large part to email marketing, calendar listings, social media and word-of-mouth. The sessions have attracted as many as 60 CPAP users.

Each month, NST invites board-certified sleep physicians, sleep technicians and representatives from various CPAP manufacturers to provide participants with up-to-date information. Participants are also invited to send questions in advance to be discussed during the next session.

Topics range from ways in which patients can become more engaged in therapy to new insurance requirements to how to combat skin irritation, dryness, mask leak and other common CPAP issues.

“The support groups are focused on patient education and an unbiased presentation of new products that are available on the market,” said Cohen.

Amy Michaud, territory manager for Maine and New Hampshire at ResMed, joined an Oct. 1 call to discuss the features and benefits of three new ResMed masks and field questions about existing products.

“It's important for us to follow up and really help the patients because compliance is really the biggest obstacle when it comes to any type of therapy,” said Michaud.

While CPAP support groups are nothing new, it's become increasingly more difficult for HME providers to host them, says Cohen.

“We all know how busy everyone is these days, and we wanted an educational and community based platform whereby geography or mobility is not an issue, and anyone with a telephone could become part of this community,” he added.