arclightJun 2, 2024

I'm taking a mail-order sleep study and tonight I unpacked all the gear and read the instructions. Hardware-wise everything seems fine; a few instructions could use clarification but overall it seems like a decent piece of diagnostic medical telemetry kit.

And there's an app.

I so want every MBA and app developer who voluntarily adds Facebook pixels and Google Analytics trash to every fucking product to be dragged up the side of an active volcano behind a Land Rover and unceremoniously chucked into the crater. Could I just get medical diagnostics without you sharing everything with your 867 closest personal affiliates? Is there one single thing you won't enshittify?

Why do we suffer you to live?

I imagine a team of biomedical engineers, physicians, and researchers developing amazing medical hardware that can do a lot of good, hardware that is immediately siezed and handed to their baboon and remora masters. Another press to squeeze out the last drop of blood from this turnip.

Show threadMarkAtMicrochipJun 2, 2024
@arclight the whole CPAP chain gives me the creeps. In the US, health insurance companies will bill you for the machine if you don’t show minimal use. Your use is reported only through the embedded cell modem for the first 10 months. Almost all of the replicable pieces are chipped for identity and authentication. And I get emails from the manufacturer: “Are you sure you’re maintaining your equipment “ every time they detect a fault, but there’s no actionable information.
Show threadBill HookerJun 2, 2024
@MarkAtMicrochip @arclight It's ridiculous that a prescription is necessary, but it's not hard to get one. Then tell the predatory company to stuff it and buy a CPAP online. Get one that cannot connect to anything, and figure out for yourself how best to use it. I've been very pleased with my little ResMed, but initially my PCP hooked me up with a company that wanted to lease me a machine, monitor my usage, and have direct access to my bank account to sell me shit like filters. Oy vey.
Show threadarclight

@sennoma @MarkAtMicrochip Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the end of this process when I have to tell them to just give me the prescription so I can buy the thing outright with no strings, no service contract, no surveillance app, etc. I am lucky to be in a position to do so and having done this twice before, I know my options and their scams a lot better.

It's so stupid. The home sleep test gear itself seems great, but someone had to turn the app and website into a scummy ad/surveillance system. I've had a CPAP for at least a decade, I'm happy with my current one which is completely functional except for a recall due to the risk of the noise-deadening open cell polyurethane foam inside breaking free and getting blown into your airway. Great machine otherwise but this flaw has killed people so I'm not gambling with it anymore. I'm back dealing with the usurious Durable Medical Equipment system and preparing for a fight. It's irritating as hell.

Jun 2, 2024 at 9:54amWeb
Show threadskryJun 2, 2024
@arclight @sennoma @MarkAtMicrochip The bureaucracy of CPAP couldn’t prevent the quality and service issue that threatens your life, but they sure can prevent you from getting the care you need. Makes no sense.
Show threadMarkAtMicrochipJun 2, 2024
@arclight @sennoma after 10 months, the nanny CPAP became “mine”, but I haven’t tested the waters to see how far I can take it. I was able to buy an extra through the third party service that I “have” to buy the consumables from. It’s an inferior product, but it’s good enough. Another annoyance is that data goes direct to my Dr. “How are you sleeping?” Idk, you have the data, why don’t you tell me?