Home testing questions

[slipkid]

Next year, after my bennies reset, I will investigate getting a unit/strips on my own (thanks). I was under the impression it was like $2000 though? That was about what Alere wanted to charge me when they said they wouldn't take my insurance. I assumed that was the cost of a unit. I have no idea how much any of this costs other than that.....right now it is all free for me.....

P.S. The idiot nurse in the doctor office once again left me a message that my last INR is good and that "I should test again in 2 weeks". This after I already went through long story with the doc to try to explain that THEY ENROLLED ME IN A WEEKLY TESTING SERVICE AND THAT IF I GO TO 2 WEEKS THEN I AM IN VIOLATION OF THE PROTOCOL AND HAVE TO RETURN EVERYTHING ETC. Sigh. I am just going to continue every week, as I already told the doctor, for now.

 

[gerrychuck]

With regard to the InRatio2; this is the meter I use, and I have had very accurate results with it. I have crosschecked my test results several times with lab draws, and the results have always been within 0.1. Sounds like you have crosschecked as well and that the results have been consistent as well. That is the test, and if the results compare well to lab tests, you can have confidence in your meter.

 

[pellicle]

Hi
firstly, sorry to read of your "hassles" with protocols. WRT:

Next year, after my bennies reset, I will investigate getting a unit/strips on my own (thanks). I was under the impression it was like $2000 though?

from an older post of mine:

A used coaguchek can make it cheaper.

An alternate cost benefit analysis could be:
* Used coaguchek (sold by someone who didn't like home testing for instance) ~= $500
* 48 strips ~= $260
Yeilds $15.80 each for those 48 tests
However you get to keep the meter so subsequent tests are $5.41 each test.

Compared to lab tests you are ahead before you complete the first 48

I have had my machine for a few years now (its the Coaguchek XS, but none the less) and I have done a lot of testing, certainly in the order of 200 strips. So dividing the cost of the machine over the strips in longer term the per test is $8.3 (strips alone are about $5.83) and so its clear that the cost of the machine per test comes down to insignificant over time. But this is basic business finance anyway.

My coaguchek XS has traveled around Europe in a backpack and been between Australia and Finland a few times in that time period. So as well as being a liberator from the tyranny of labs, its robust and well priced.

If the machine you pick has expensive strips that are hard to obtain, then will be the most significant guidance in selecting a machine IMO.