Interview with the CEO of CPAP Therapy, Francisco Marruecos
CPAP Therapy has been improving people’s quality of sleep for almost two decades
CPAP Therapy will be 23 years old in October. The start of CPAP Therapy’s activity did not develop from an idea, market research or any other theoretical formula for the development of a market. It was born out of the need to respond to patients with positive pressure treatment who were not linked to public health services. “These patients solve their problems by resorting to the market and acquiring the necessary equipment for their treatment, in this context I propose to provide a solution and offer a personalised service”. “In contact with specialist prescribers, we offer quality treatments with top-quality equipment and accessories”. We interviewed Francisco Morocco, CEO of CPAP Therapy.
How did you identify that there was a need to cover such a specific field as this?
Due to the specialisation of my work in the field of pneumology, I began to respond to the demand from specialist doctors who were concerned about patients who, without coverage from public services or for personal issues of quality of service in the treatment of OSA, wanted a CPAP equipment of their own. This is the origin of the CPAP Therapy activity.
What have been the difficulties in the process of consolidating the company?
The main challenge has been the economic one, our marketing channel is fundamentally the service to private patients, we do not work with public health services, we consider that our offer must be of quality in treatment equipment and accessories and above all, of attention to patients who want a quality treatment with monitoring of their problem over time. Sleep apnoea is chronic and the treatment must be monitored continuously over time, there are no miracle solutions, so we offer monitoring of patients with OSA, which is necessary for doctors and patients over time.
And what is the current balance?
It is enormously positive. In these 22 years we have been able to offer screening systems for medical specialists and treatment and follow-up systems for patients. We have contributed to the development of home screening and patient follow-up by computerising the processes. We are currently taking a step further to integrate specialists and patients on the same platform, we are entering into the digitalisation of processes by developing the platform in the “cloud”.
What is the company’s commitment to new technologies?
Our objective is to provide a quality response to doctors and patients by offering screening, treatment and follow-up integrated into a platform that allows them to interact directly. This evolution necessarily involves the digitisation of the different activities. The new models of screening and treatment teams already allow their integration and management on digital platforms, and we are present in all forms of communication on social networks.
“We offer a comprehensive service that allows us to manage all processes with a high level of efficiency and quality”.
To be a successful company, you have to surround yourself with high-value professionals, right?
It is not possible to tackle such a delicate activity without having the professionals, the means and the equipment to respond to doctors and their patients without the highest quality standards, which is why our company has clinical staff, doctors, nurses and above all physiotherapists who accompany and support the sales staff who manage the financial side. CPAP Therapy has evolved, we don’t just sell equipment and accessories for screening and treatment, we offer a comprehensive service that allows us to manage all processes with a high level of efficiency and quality.
Do you think there is still a lot of research to be done on sleep apnoea?
We professionals who are directly related to doctors and sleep medicine professionals attend the main congresses that are organised in Spain, there are always advances that are presented in certain aspects related to the disease, but where progress is really being made is in technology and in the services that support patients, In this aspect, our contribution in treatment equipment and in the monitoring and development of information for doctors and patients is constantly evolving and we can say that together with the different manufacturers we use, we are at the forefront of innovation in the processes of screening, treatment and monitoring of patients with sleep apnoea.
Some time ago you decided to launch the online shop, what are the most successful products, what is your assessment of it, and will there be any new developments?
www.terapiacpap.pt was the first website in the sector. The activity as a sales channel has grown over time, but really, the main feature of our website is informative.
“With the digitalisation of the equipment, we offer a service that allows us to monitor day-to-day operations anywhere in the world”.
The company has a prominent role in terms of marketing and social networks, how do you approach the strategy in this regard?
The equipment from the different manufacturers that we use incorporates the necessary technology to implement the “internet of things” applied to screening and treatment. We have recently created a digital marketing department to develop all the technological possibilities of the equipment and thus facilitate direct communication between professionals and their patients and naturally with us, these processes are essential nowadays.
Of all the services offered by CPAP Therapy, which are the most requested?
Once the treatment and purchase decision has been made, the most requested services are after-sales services and the follow-up and generation of treatment reports. With regard to after-sales, we offer a two-year guarantee and when this ends, we offer an annual guarantee extension, which means that if a device presents a technical problem either under guarantee or during the guarantee extension period, Terapia CPAP will replace the device. This approach is made possible by the response of the various manufacturers, because the failure rate of our products is so low that we can offer a complete replacement of the equipment if necessary.
Follow-up is the other fundamental service, patients can request reports on their treatment as many times as they consider necessary, this service is provided free of charge for the life of the machine, and requires the presence of the patient in our collaborating centres. With the digitalisation of the equipment, we offer a service that allows us to monitor day by day anywhere in the world, it has an additional cost but it changes absolutely the relationship between the company, the patient and the doctor, the therapeutic activity can be visualised “online” without the necessary presence of the patient in front of the doctor.
Where is TerapiaCPAP going, how do you see the company in 10 years?
CPAP Therapy is moving towards digitalisation, our future is clearly linked to highly technical screening, treatment and monitoring services that will improve the relationship between doctors and patients. Services will be so integrated that they will be able to offer fully personalised services, in the home and in the proximity environment.
Terapia CPAP Portugal
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