Discovery Health anticoagulation program-MUST SEE!

[Ross]

Is anyone here doing home testing? I'd love to but my primary can't find enough excuses why I shouldn't...and their Lab uses the Roche unit!

Just about all of us are home testers and some self dosers. Get your primary to watch the video. He gets credit for continuing education if he does.

 

[Roger Frank]

I get the impression testing is easy gravy for their local in clinic Lab...

I'm not going to give up however!

Thanks!

 

[Ross]

I get the impression testing is easy gravy for their local in clinic Lab...

I'm not going to give up however!

Thanks!

The bottom line is that they don't want the revenue leaving their clinics. It's easier to say stupid things such as the machines aren't accurate or they just don't trust them. Mine wouldn't even acknowledge they existed, then changed his tune when I brought in the application, then he went with "they aren't accurate". I asked him why he'd say that when the Cardiologists clinic uses a coaguchek meter? He still won't cooperate with me on it, but my Cardiologist did and that's all that matters.

 

[Roger Frank]

The bottom line is that they don't want the revenue leaving their clinics. It's easier to say stupid things such as the machines aren't accurate or they just don't trust them. Mine wouldn't even acknowledge they existed, then changed his tune when I brought in the application, then he went with "they aren't accurate". I asked him why he'd say that when the Cardiologists clinic uses a coaguchek meter? He still won't cooperate with me on it, but my Cardiologist did and that's all that matters.

Thanks Ross...I'm going to contact my Cardiologist today and hope for a better outcome!

 

[catwoman]

Roger:

My PCP is theoretically my anticoagulation manager. However, what it consists of is writing my warfarin Rxes each year. His staff was hesitant when I asked about doing home-testing, but **he** was in favor. At that time, he had 2 other patients doing home-testing.

I've been home-testing almost 5 years.

Dr. Murphy often says that he wishes that more insurance companies would cover INR testing machines.

I've given him copies of threads from here, articles from the internet, a copy of the algorithm dosing chart (his clinic uses a different one). I've gone to him for 20-25 years, so he knows me very well.

There are many articles on the benefits of home-testing and self-adjusting that you can print out to show your doctor. It appears to be the norm in Europe. In the U.S., the FDA, insurance companies and doctors are foot-dragging.

 

[Ter]

Hi,
Thanks so much for the referenece to Discovery Health. I just watched all four units, and even got CME credit (including certificate) for it (I am a physician). Was very educational and helpful. How much do the home units cost (approximately)? if you know.

Thanks again. Terry

 

[Ross]

Terry -

Not having bought a new home unit, but having researched it a bit, and read many of the threads here, I believe the home units run anywhere from around $800 to as much as $1800 or more. I've seen how the price may be different if insurance is paying for the meter, or if the patient is paying out of pocket.

Meters are also available (possibly not entirely legally) on eBay. I just got one as is, without a charger, for $35. I had a charger that worked -- and this as is unit had an error when started. I saw another on eBay, and before bidding asked the seller if the meter worked the last time it was used. This seller didn't have the charger. This generous soul sent me the unit (I should have it tomorrow) at no charge -- he said that if it didn't work, there would be nothing lost. If it DOES work, I'll pay him something for it. My challenge is getting the testing supplies.

My point is that, although new meters, with warrantees and training are preferable - especially if the patient has insurance - there may be other ways to get the meters less expensively.

(I got the impression that the meter I'm getting for 'free' tomorrow belonged to a family member who died. The person had no use for the meter. If you have patients who have died, it may be a nice gesture for you to suggest they give the meter to someone who needs one but can't afford it, rather than just tossing it out or giving it to an 'heir' who has no use for it)

Mark

----

St. Jude Aortic Valve - 1991
On coumadin/warfarin since 1991
last tested in 2006 (but I'll change that as soon as I get some strips, now that have a machine)

Mark we really don't encourage anyone to use any source other then those legally certified to be selling the devices. It's your life your taking into your hands. Do you really want to trust it to a meter that may or may not work properly?

 

[catwoman]

Mark we really don't encourage anyone to use any source other then those legally certified to be selling the devices. It's your life your taking into your hands. Do you really want to trust it to a meter that may or may not work properly?

I agree. When you buy a meter from an Hemosense-, ProTime 3- or CoaguChek-authorized dealer, they'll stand behind problems with the unit.

 

[dtb]

Thanks Catwoman ... I'm getting smarter on this subject by the day.

Dan.

 

[persianlady56]

thank you for acess to this progam it was very informative I would really like to have a home testing monitor dont think medi-cal pays for it thank you christine

 

[drivetopless]

This is great! I'm now ready to have that self-testing conversation when it's time.

 

[Herb_Webb]

Is anyone here doing home testing? I'd love to but my primary can't find enough excuses why I shouldn't...and their Lab uses the Roche unit!

Hi Roger, just found this site and I'm a home tester. Been doing it for almost 12 years. My surgeon threw some stats at me after surgery because he really wanted me to home test weekly rather than the once a month most GP's rely on. One was that my risk of complications, such as bleeding, clotting that could lead to strokes or MI was reduced quite a bit. I think the long term risk for monitoring once a month was 3-5% whereas weekly monitoring reduced the risk to under 2%. Something like 1.5%. Plan on living a long time so reducing my risk by half or better was a no-brainer.

BTW if my Doc had turned me down for a monitor, I'd have found a new Doc within the hour.

have fun
Herb

 

[river-wear]

Just to update this thread, the links originally given to the program no longer work. I found them here:
http://dsc.discovery.com/search.htm?terms=anticoagulation

Part 2 doesn't show on that page, but if you go to the preview or part 1 you'll see a link to it on the bottom of the page. For some reason, they are listed out of numerical order.

 

[pellicle]

Just to update this thread, the links originally given to the program no longer work. I found them here:

my thanks for your diligence on this.

 

[UncleSteve]

I've just been to view the videos, however there seems to be an error as I'm unable to view or get a link for 'Part 1'. For others, the links are as follows;

Anticoagulation Preview
http://www.discoveryfitandhealth.co...s/anticoagulation-anticoagulation-preview.htm
http://discsmil.edgesuite.net/digme...00877712021703102197_anticoagulation-200k.mp4

Anticoagulation Part 1
http://www.discoveryfitandhealth.co...os/anticoagulation-anticoagulation-part-1.htm
Link missing...

Anticoagulation Part 2
http://www.discoveryfitandhealth.co...os/anticoagulation-anticoagulation-part-2.htm
http://discsmil.edgesuite.net/digmed/hdnet/a3/e8/119134167652912021703301197_anticoag002-200k.mp4

Anticoagulation Part 3
http://www.discoveryfitandhealth.co...os/anticoagulation-anticoagulation-part-3.htm
http://discsmil.edgesuite.net/digmed/hdnet/dd/74/119134171919212021703401197_anticoag003-200k.mp4

Anticoagulation Part 4
http://www.discoveryfitandhealth.co...os/anticoagulation-anticoagulation-part-4.htm
http://discsmil.edgesuite.net/digmed/hdnet/1c/29/119134224037012021703501197_anticoag004-200k.mp4

If someone could point me to another source for the missing film, that would be great

 

[almost_hectic]

I'd be curious to watch these videos if anyone knows how or where... The links above do work, however part one is still missing, seems best to watch that as a prerequisite if possible

 

[sangfroid]

Happened to catch the very last few minutes of a Discovery Health program this morning about monitoring anticoagulation. It's part of a CME series for physicians and other health-care providers. They can register, watch the clips, then take an online test and get credit.

Couldn't access the site at home because we have dial-up . Kept getting booted off. We're in Dallas today visiting my parents who have DSL, so I brought my laptop.

The program is wonderful!!!! I highly recommend that each person here who is on warfarin watch it. The program is extremely supportive of home testing (FYI: Roche, which makes CoaguChek, is involved in this program, if my memory serves me right.). In fact, there are 2 home-testers interviewed for the program.

The program addresses POC (point of care instruments, i.e., finger-stick monitors) and the 3 MDs interviewed hold them to be as reliable to lab draws. This is one reason some doctors bring up as why they won't agree to patients using home testers.

I highly urge that everyone tell their doctors about this program and ask that they watch it. (It's possible that not all states would grant the CME credit, but holding the carrot out there of being able to get credit for watching this might persuade some medical professionals to see this.)

I googled Discovery Health and CME to get the link to the program. I believe that credit will be given through sometime in 2009 for this.

I'd like to download a copy of this, but haven't figured that out yet. My Ph.D. candidate nephew is on his way to glue the U key back on my keyboard, so I'll ask him.

BTW, the program is in 4 clips. First one is 15 minutes, 2nd is 10 minutes, don't recall how long each of the other two are.
Link to the program:

http://discoveryhealthcme.discovery.com/anticoagulation/anticoagulation.html

Had 2 occasions to check coagucheck results with hospital lab when I suspected the home results. Both tests were done within 3 to 4 hours and results were both within 0.1 of home INR. I'm impressed.