This disclosure describes improved systems and methods for displaying, accessing, and changing respiratory settings in a ventilatory system. Specifically, the present disclosure provides for one or more settings access elements, each corresponding to an individual ventilatory setting, for efficiently adjusting displayed ventilatory settings. Access elements may be easily identified as buttons, tabs, icons, or other access displays. After settings have been accessed and changed, pending settings changes may be visually identified on the GUI, or other user interface. In addition, pending settings changes associated with one or more screens of a GUI may be easily identified. Acceptance elements may also be provided which indicate whether one, multiple, or no pending settings changes are available for acceptance.