What are your tips for finding a good respiratory therapist?
Share your tips with fellow community members looking for a respiratory therapist! If you haven’t found a good one, what challenges have you faced?
I have an asthma/allergy specialist. Should I also have a respiratory therapist? Could that be a help?
Hi FeelingShy and thanks for your post. In general, respiratory therapists do not have independent practices. They are usually employed by hospitals, home care companies, physician offices, etc. If you're already seeing an asthma/allergy specialist, that may be sufficient for management of your condition. You can always bring this matter to the attention of the specialist to get their opinion as well. Leon (site moderator)
I was assigned a respiratory therapist when I started CPAP a few weeks ago, but all he did was set up the machine. He didn't return my call when I had difficulty with it, so I
What would a respiratory therapist do for someone with asthma? What services would they provide that are different than a pulmonologist?*So I didn't contact him again
Hi again, Nighfala, and thanks for joining in the conversation here. Generally speaking in the home care setting, respiratory therapist (RT's)s may be dispatched to someone's home to do exactly what the therapist did for you. On the order of a prescription of a physician, the RT will set up and adjust the CPAP machine, or other therapy, which was prescribed for the patient by the physician. If there is a concern for the patient, the RT should really call back to address the issue. I am sorry this RT did not.
In general, respiratory therapists do not have independent practices. They are usually employed by hospitals, home care companies, physician offices, etc.
Should you still have a concern regarding the therapy you are using at home, you may want to direct your concern to the prescribing physician?
What do you think?
Leon (site moderator asthma.net)
