A New Standard of Care for Improving Patient Outcomes

Based upon a large body of supporting clinical evidence, in 2008 CMS approved PT/INR self-testing for the following warfarin oral anticoagulation indications:

                                       ·      mechanical heart valves
                          ·      chronic atrial fibrillation 
                          ·      deep vein thrombosis
                          ·      pulmonary embolism 
                          ·      hypercoagulable state

The benefits of self-testing have been clearly documented in published studies.

Properly prescribed, INR 
Patient Self Testing:

·        Helps maintain patients in theraputic range

·      Provides timely alert to physicians when patients are out of range

·      Helps reduce drug-related complications

·      May reduce the time and burden of dealing with 
       anti-coagulation  complications

·      Improves patient outcomes

·      Supports testing compliance to physician’s orders

·      Follows CMS (Medicare's) coverage decisions

·      Is reimbursed by Medicare and most insurers

·      Positive impact on costs associated with anti-coagualtion

How
Home Self-Testing Works

Alternative Health Care Inc.'s PATIENT SELF TESTING (PST), enables physicians to better manage their patients by utilizing home PT/INR monitoring for chronic, oral anticoagulation management.

The PT/INR Self Test uses the same simple, reliable meters that are proven in professional point-of-care settings. They are cleared for home use by the FDA and have been extensively evaluated for accuracy and precision.

Your patients will be given a meter, a supply of special PT/INR test strips, and a lancet device. Prior to home use, they will receive personal instruction on how to perform the test and must demonstrate that they are able to complete a self-test without difficulty.

PATIENT SELF TESTING receives INR levels from self-testing patients each week by one of three methods; Personal Attendant Communication, Automated Voice Interactive Telephone System, or WEB enabled Secure Input

·      AHC's PATIENT SELF TESTING immediately creates a report and forwards it to your office either by fax, e-mail or secure PATIENT SELF TESTING WEB site access.

·      AHC's PATIENT SELF TESTING alerts physician’s office if test results are out of therapeutic range so that physician can quickly contact patients for dosage adjustments or other advice as required

·      AHC's PATIENT SELF TESTING prompts patient when tests are missed to support compliance with physician orders

Which Patients Qualify for
PT/INR 
Patient Self-Testing?

Patients who take Coumadin or other oral anticoagulation medication daily and will be taking it long term

Patients who have one or more of the following medical conditions

            ·      a mechanical heart valve 
            ·      chronic atrial fibrillation 
            ·      deep vein thrombosis (DVT) 
            ·      pulmonary embolism 
            ·      hypercoagulable state

·      Patients who are good at following doctor's orders and would agree to perform weekly testing as prescribed

·      Patients who want to be in greater control of their own testing and care

·      Patients who are physically capable to perform a self-test by taking a drop of blood from their finger, or have a caregiver who could assist them

·      Patients who would prefer not to have to travel to the doctor's office, medical lab or clinic just to be tested for INR

·      Patients who are unable to provide a blood sample from a vein

·      Patients who are active, travel, or for other reasons may frequently be away from testing facilities.

Meters

Similar in concept to the testing meters used by millions of diabetics, the meters used for PT/INR self-testing are compact, reliable and simple to use. They are cleared for home use by the FDA and have been extensively tested for accuracy and precision in measuring anticoagulant levels in blood.

·       Each meter is portable so it is easy to store and to transport.

·       The meters have quality control measures built in, and self-check prior to each test, ensuring process integrity without need for additional QA procedures by the patient.

·       Each meter has a display window that provides "prompts" for the testing sequence. This display also shows test results. The INR value is shown in large, easy to see numbers.

·       Each meter requires a drop or two of blood from a simple finger stick to complete the test. The whole test procedure takes less than 5 Minutes from start to finish.

· The meters are battery powered for the convenience of testing from any location.

·       Each meter holds a memory of recent results including date and time, although the patient is instructed to call in the results immediately following the test so they can be transmitted to the physician’s office as soon as possible.

·       The meters are loaned to your patient for the time they are on the service, so there is no need to worry about warranties or repairs. The meter will be replaced right away if necessary.

Enables patients to actively participate in their own care

Improves patient quality of life, peace of mind and  satisfaction

Delivers long-term benefits