PT/INR Patient self-testing
Convenient, accurate PT/INR patient self-testing (PST)
Enjoy the freedom to test anywhere and stay in range
If you are on anticoagulation therapy with Coumadin® (warfarin sodium), you know that your doctor needs frequent prothrombin time (PT/INR) test results to help you stay in your target range. But sometimes circumstances can make it difficult to get to the lab or doctor’s office for testing.
Now, you have an option known as Patient Self-Testing (PST) that lets you check your PT/INR anytime, anywhere you want, with a simple fingerstick test. And many of your PST expenses may be covered by Medicare or your private health insurance as well.
By self-testing with a PST meter like the CoaguChek XS system, you could save time, simplify your lifestyle, and even help your doctor take better care of your health. That’s a prescription for a more enjoyable life.
Patient Self-Testing requires your doctor’s permission, so ask your doctor if PST is right for you.
For more information, call
1-800-779-7616 or request a PST patient information kit.
The benefits of frequent PT/INR testing with PST
Taking the correct dose of warfarin is critical, because the drug’s effects can vary based on your diet, lifestyle and overall health. That’s why you need to closely monitor your warfarin therapy with frequent blood tests that measure your
prothrombin time (PT) - or how fast your blood clots. PT results are usually reported as an
International Normalized Ratio (INR).
Self-testing your PT/INR is more convenient and offers several advantages over having all of your testing done at the lab or your doctor’s office.
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Fast and easy– It only takes a few easy steps and about a minute to get an INR result.
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Simple fingerstick test– Most patients prefer testing with a small drop of blood from a fingerstick over having blood drawn from a vein.1
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Convenient– Test when you need to, wherever you are; no need to travel to and from appointments or interrupt your busy schedule.
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Time in range– Testing frequently makes it easier for your doctor to adjust your warfarin therapy on a timely basis, which may result in more time in the therapeutic range for you and a reduced risk for complications, such as clots or bleeding. 2
Patient self-testing with the CoaguChek XS System allows you to enjoy the freedom of anytime, anywhere testing and still work with your doctor to manage your warfarin therapy wherever you go.
Medicare coverage for PT/INR patient self-testing (PST)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently expanded coverage of home testing of PT/INR so that it now includes patients who are on warfarin therapy for the treatment of a mechanical heart valve, chronic atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heart beat) or venous thrombosis (a condition associated with blood clots that typically form in the leg).
To find out more about potential coverage for self-testing through Medicare or your private insurance, request a
PST patient information kit
or call
1-800-779-7616.
1 Giles T and Roffidal L. Results of the Prothrombin Office-Testing Benefit Evaluation (PROBE).
Cardiovascular Reviews and Reports. January 2002;23(1):27-33.
