In 2017, a survey was conducted by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Nursing Assembly Working Group and was the first to elicit patient experiences using oxygen equipment. The survey received a remarkable response from 1,926 oxygen users and revealed numerous and wide-ranging oxygen equipment problems. The survey provides insight into the anxiety and worry that plague home oxygen users’ daily lives. The results show patients key concerns include a variety of issues, including equipment function, portability, adequacy of systems to support a mobile lifestyle and most state that they have a constant concern about running out of O2.
Supplemental Oxygen Solutions
Although supplemental oxygen is supposed to help patients continue with their social and professional lives, patients report that current portable oxygen options demote them to a stay-at-home lifestyle. For many, the fear that their oxygen tank will run out is real and has resulted in social isolation, ultimately affecting their quality of life. And while oxygen therapy equipment options have increased over the past several years, there still appears to be a lag in access to equipment and education to inform patients and even healthcare providers of efficient and available oxygen systems.
There are many different oxygen therapy options on the market, and they all have various features—so how do you know which is best? There are three main options:
- Compressed gas systems
- Portable oxygen concentrators (POC’s)
- Liquid oxygen systems
Choosing the right Oxygen System
When choosing the right type of oxygen system, you need to consider your lifestyle and activities, as well as the amount of oxygen you need. The goal of oxygen therapy is to have equipment that you can and will wear, so you can keep enjoying your usual activities. Which appears to be the issue expressed in the survey responses. Finding the right equipment is vital to the success of oxygen therapy.
MIJA understands that it is essential that medical oxygen equipment perform precisely as required – at all times and that it must be safe and easy to use. Which is why MIJA has always taken seriously its commitment to manufacturing high-quality products and innovating solutions for the past 47 years.
MIJA’s Critical Alert Technology
MIJA’s Critical Alert technology was developed in 2009 and is now available in three different products to be used with compressed gas systems. The Critical Alert provides 24/7 cylinder content monitoring and delivers low-pressure alarms to inform users when their oxygen cylinder is getting low, a technology that was not previously available for homecare. MIJA’s Critical Alert products ensure safe, dependable, accurate delivery of medical oxygen therapy at home and on the go. Critical Alert low oxygen alarms provide peace of mind for the oxygen user and caregiver alike, allowing them to maintain an active lifestyle and not worry that their oxygen will run out without advanced notification. For more information on Critical Alert technology and how it can help you, contact MIJA at sales@mija.com.