NORWOOD, Mass.—In an effort to emphasize the
company’s focus on patient compliance and health care cost
containment, Reliable Respiratory has launched a marketing campaign
that incorporates bottles of Tabasco sauce.
Cards being distributed to referral sources by the eight-year-old
company’s account reps read, “We’re HOT on
Compliance & Cost Containment.”
Bob Chase, RRT, Reliable’s clinical manager, said it’s
important for individuals with sleep disordered breathing who have
been prescribed CPAP devices to use them regularly each night.
“When patients are compliant, they feel better, have a more
positive attitude, are less prone to accidents and various medical
conditions,” Chase said in a release.
He also pointed out that “the better the compliance, the
better the chance of reducing health care costs because deeper
sleep reduces risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, heart
attack, stroke, anxiety, memory issues and more.”
With over 40 years in the airway management field, Chase has
worked with thousands of patients, including the late actor and
disability activist Christopher Reeve and U.S. House Speaker Thomas
P. ‘Tip’ O’Neill. Chase wants to spread the
compliance message however he can.
In January, the company began a year-long CPAP Road Tour to take
its respiratory therapy experts into the New England communities it
serves. The series includes free bi-weekly programs across
Massachusetts and Rhode Island for people who have been diagnosed
with or may have sleep-disordered breathing. Attendees can try out
new CPAP masks, check their CPAP pressure, see the latest equipment
and learn sleep tips.
One of the first tour events was highlighted in The Boston Globe. “My goal is to improve the quality of life for my patients,'' Chase told the newspaper. "The more challenging the cases, the more interesting."
Ten tour events have already been held and more are planned, said Stan Hurwitz, a company spokesperson. Tour sponsors include ResMed, Philips Respironics and Fisher & Paykel.